All-electric cab company putting a charge in Montreal’s taxi industry

MONTREAL – The city’s taxi industry is going green – or at least one privately-run taxi company is pushing the environmental pedal to the metal with its all electric-only powered fleet.

Téo is offering service with its 50 electric cars beginning Nov. 26.

It’s the first of its kind in Canada.

“This is the beginning of revolution with the taxi,” Aladdin AlHassan, one of Téo’s newest cabbies, told Global News.

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The start-up company is financially fuelled with $250 million of investments led by XPND Capital.

Téo’s fleet includes Kia Soul, Nissan Leaf and Tesla.

“As soon as March, we will be able to drive you from Senneville to Pointe-aux-Trembles without a glitch,” said founder Alexandre Taillefer.

By 2017, Taillefer is hoping to expand Téo’s fleet to 1,000 all electric vehicles.

In recent years, Montreal’s cab industry has been besieged by Uber, the app-driven cab company that has cut badly into Montreal’s taxi business.

Téo hopes to create its own shockwaves.

All the electric cars will be outfitted with free WiFi, chargers for smartphones and computer monitors on the back of the head rests for passengers to use.

Riding a Téo cab won’t cost customers any more than riding in a gas powered taxi in Montreal’s traditional cab companies, including the $100,000-plus Tesla.

Ordering the Téo cab service will be available via a smartphone app toward the end of the year.