New Ford Mustang Mach-E cars are joining New York’s fleet of iconic yellow taxis.
EV fleet and infrastructure startup Gravity has launched the first fleet of all-electric New York yellow taxis with the same standard, predictable cab fare.
However, Gravity’s fleet of Ford Mustang Mach Es offer a customized passenger experience, with panoramic roofs for sightseeing, and industry-leading safety tech.
“We’ve designed our fleet to be the smartest, safest and most sustainable taxi to ever hit the road—something any New Yorker or visitor would be excited to flag down. We want our advanced EV fleet to not only help reinvigorate the NYC yellow taxi, but help reenergize the city and pull it toward a cleaner future,” says Moshe Cohen, founder and CEO of Gravity, Inc.
The company intends to deploy a fleet of “at least” 50 cabs made up of the Mach-E and Tesla Model Y. The company says that its first Model Y is undergoing its final hack-up and inspection.
Gravity’s cabs come equipped with dynamic passenger controls; a 22-inch display for selfies, music and video, and driver-facing AI tech that identifies and prevents distracted driving. Riders will be able to hail one of the cabs on the street or through standard yellow taxi-hailing apps.
The cars will be charged during overnight hours at Gravity’s own Midtown Manhattan charging space on West 42nd Street, maximizing the hours vehicles are available to carry passengers.
As they are yellow taxis, rather than Ubers or Lyfts, Gravity’s fleet will not use any form of surge pricing or premium rates, giving riders the same predictable fare.
All the taxis are licensed and approved by the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Gravity initially announced that it would be bringing electric cabs to the streets of New York in May this year with Tesla Model Y cars. However, this new expansion with Ford Mustang Mach-E models demonstrates that there is certainly consumer demand for EV taxi rides over traditional petrol cars.
