An NYC yellow taxi, powered by Tesla. Photo: Drive Sally
Earlier this month, Tesla landed a spot in Israel as the first outside electric vehicle (EV) company to begin importing and selling its cars.
Despite its range and tax benefits making the EV the perfect taxi suited for Israel, according to Calcalist Tech, Tesla is currently only selling to private buyers in the country.
If taxi drivers could purchase Tesla’s for their fleet, however, they would be eligible for zero sales tax compensation, as well as a return on value-added tax (VAT).
Taking a Ride in New York City’s First Tesla Taxi [VIDEO] https://t.co/OAaoSJKdfr
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) December 12, 2020
In addition, taxi services in Israel, like in many places around the world, are looking to reduce emissions to zero, and drivers agree that Tesla’s cars could make the perfect taxi.
One veteran taxi driver in Israel told Calcalist, “Tesla promises a driving range of upwards of 400 kilometers, which would suffice for my daily needs, without having to take a mid-day break to charge it.” They continued, “But I can’t reach them to make an order.”
Currently, Tesla is only selling its vehicles online through the country’s order configurator. But if drivers could purchase taxis from the company, it could save them around NIS 36,000 ($11,061 USD) after taxes.
Regardless, Tesla likely hopes to establish a wider customer base in the country first, along with making major improvements to the country’s charging infrastructure. Hopefully, however, taxi drivers and companies will be able to benefit from Tesla’s EVs sooner, rather than later.
