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Tesla Model 3 wins hearts as famed NYC Taxi, picks up where Nissan Leaf couldn’t
Images of a Tesla Model 3 being used as a New York City taxi cab, complete with the fleet’s iconic yellow paint scheme, have started making the rounds online. The vehicle, which was sighted in Manhattan near a Tesla store, signifies what could very well be an upcoming shift towards sustainability for NYC’s taxi fleet. It also symbolizes a second chance of sorts for all-electric vehicles, especially considering the failure of the Nissan Leaf taxis in previous years.
Back in 2013, New York City launched a pilot program for all-electric taxis with a fleet of six first-gen Nissan Leafs. The vehicles were let loose in the city on Earth Day to much optimism and acclaim, but by 2015, the Leafs were decommissioned. In its final report, the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission noted that the Nissan Leaf required drivers to significantly alter their driving habits due to the vehicles’ EPA-estimated 84-mile range. This handicap was highlighted further when the weather was hot, since the use of air conditioners was required for NYC taxis.
First Model 3 Taxi in NYC from r/teslamotors
The failure of the Leaf as a New York taxi was a cloud above all-electric cars until 2019, when reports emerged stating that the Tesla Model 3 had been approved for taxi service in the city. The all-electric sedan more than meets the minimum requirements for NYC cabs. These requirements include ample interior space, air conditioning for rear-seat passengers, seats that are easy to clean, and enough cabin space to install the clear partition that separates the driver from passengers in the backseat.
More importantly, the Model 3 does not have the same weakness as the first-gen Leafs from 2013. Unlike the 84-mile Leaf, the shortest-range Model 3 boasts at least 220 miles per charge, and that’s if customers specifically request for the non-Autopilot Standard Range version. Otherwise, the Standard Range Plus, the more affordable variant that could be ordered directly on Tesla’s website, offers an EPA-estimated range of 263 miles for $37,990. Autopilot also comes as a standard feature on variants from the Standard Range Plus and above.
Considering the power and range of the Tesla Model 3, there seems to be a good chance that the vehicle will not have the same feedback from taxi drivers as the first-gen Leafs from 2013. The Model 3, if any, would likely outperform the city’s other, conventional taxis, and its fast-charging capabilities through Tesla’s Supercharger Network would allow the vehicle to replenish most of its range while drivers take a brief break. The vehicle’s sizable cargo space from its trunk and frunk would likely be appreciated by commuters as well.
New York’s Tesla Model 3 taxi drivers would best be advised to take it easy on the all-electric sedan’s accelerator, however. Electric cars are famed for their instant torque, and the Model 3 is no exception, with even the Standard Range Plus variant having a 0-60 mph time that rivals muscle cars. If NYC taxi drivers develop a habit of punching the Model 3’s accelerator at every chance, history might end up repeating itself innumerable times. The first speeding infraction ever committed in the United States back in 1899, after all, was from a New York City cabbie who was driving 12 mph down Lexington Street in Manhattan, 4 mph above the legal speed limit at the time.
The NYC taxi driver, Jacob German, was driving a battery-electric car.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk trolls budget airline after it refuses Starlink on its planes
“I really want to put a Ryan in charge of Ryan Air. It is your destiny,” Musk said.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk trolled budget airline Ryanair on his social media platform X this week following the company’s refusal to adopt Starlink internet on its planes.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Ryanair did not plan to install Starlink internet services on its planes due to its budgetary nature and short flight spans, which are commonly only an hour or so in total duration.
Initially, Musk said installing Starlink on the company’s planes would not impact cost or aerodynamics, but Ryanair responded on its X account, which is comical in nature, by stating that a propaganda it would not fall for was “Wi-Fi on planes.”
Musk responded by asking, “How much would it cost to buy you?” Then followed up with the idea of buying the company and replacing the CEO with someone named Ryan:
I really want to put a Ryan in charge of Ryan Air. It is your destiny.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 19, 2026
Polymarket now states that there is an 8 percent chance that Musk will purchase Ryanair, which would cost Musk roughly $36 billion, based on recent financial data of the public company.
Although the banter has certainly crossed a line, it does not seem as if there is any true reason to believe Musk would purchase the airline. More than anything, it seems like an exercise of who will go further.
Starlink passes 9 million active customers just weeks after hitting 8 million
However, it is worth noting that if something is important enough, Musk will get involved. He bought Twitter a few years ago and then turned it into X, but that issue was much larger than simple banter with a company that does not want to utilize one of the CEO’s products.
The insufferable, special needs chimp currently running Ryan Air is an accountant. Has no idea how airplanes even fly.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 20, 2026
In a poll posted yesterday by Musk, asking whether he should buy Ryanair and “restore Ryan as their rightful ruler.” 76.5 percent of respondents said he should, but others believe that the whole idea is just playful dialogue for now.
But it is not ideal to count Musk out, especially if things continue to move in the direction they have been.
News
Tesla Robotaxi’s biggest rival sends latest statement with big expansion
The new expanded geofence now covers a broader region of Austin and its metropolitan areas, extended south to Manchaca and north beyond US-183.
Tesla Robotaxi’s biggest rival sent its latest statement earlier this month by making a big expansion to its geofence, pushing the limits up by over 50 percent and nearing Tesla’s size.
Waymo announced earlier this month that it was expanding its geofence in Austin by slightly over 50 percent, now servicing an area of 140 square miles, over the previous 90 square miles that it has been operating in since July 2025.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk shades Waymo: ‘Never really had a chance’
The new expanded geofence now covers a broader region of Austin and its metropolitan areas, extended south to Manchaca and north beyond US-183.
These rides are fully driverless, which sets them apart from Tesla slightly. Tesla operates its Robotaxi program in Austin with a Safety Monitor in the passenger’s seat on local roads and in the driver’s seat for highway routes.
It has also tested fully driverless Robotaxi services internally in recent weeks, hoping to remove Safety Monitors in the near future, after hoping to do so by the end of 2025.
Tesla Robotaxi service area vs. Waymo’s new expansion in Austin, TX. pic.twitter.com/7cnaeiduKY
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) January 13, 2026
Although Waymo’s geofence has expanded considerably, it still falls short of Tesla’s by roughly 31 square miles, as the company’s expansion back in late 2025 put it up to roughly 171 square miles.
There are several differences between the two operations apart from the size of the geofence and the fact that Waymo is able to operate autonomously.
Waymo emphasizes mature, fully autonomous operations in a denser but smaller area, while Tesla focuses on more extensive coverage and fleet scaling potential, especially with the potential release of Cybercab and a recently reached milestone of 200 Robotaxis in its fleet across Austin and the Bay Area.
However, the two companies are striving to achieve the same goal, which is expanding the availability of driverless ride-sharing options across the United States, starting with large cities like Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area. Waymo also operates in other cities, like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix, and Atlanta, among others.
Tesla is working to expand to more cities as well, and is hoping to launch in Miami, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Dallas.
Elon Musk
Tesla automotive will be forgotten, but not in a bad way: investor
It’s no secret that Tesla’s automotive division has been its shining star for some time. For years, analysts and investors have focused on the next big project or vehicle release, quarterly delivery frames, and progress in self-driving cars. These have been the big categories of focus, but that will all change soon.
Entrepreneur and Angel investor Jason Calacanis believes that Tesla will one day be only a shade of how it is recognized now, as its automotive side will essentially be forgotten, but not in a bad way.
It’s no secret that Tesla’s automotive division has been its shining star for some time. For years, analysts and investors have focused on the next big project or vehicle release, quarterly delivery frames, and progress in self-driving cars. These have been the big categories of focus, but that will all change soon.
I subscribed to Tesla Full Self-Driving after four free months: here’s why
Eventually, and even now, the focus has been on real-world AI and Robotics, both through the Full Self-Driving and autonomy projects that Tesla has been working on, as well as the Optimus program, which is what Calacanis believes will be the big disruptor of the company’s automotive division.
On the All-In podcast, Calcanis revealed he had visited Tesla’s Optimus lab earlier this month, where he was able to review the Optimus Gen 3 prototype and watch teams of engineers chip away at developing what CEO Elon Musk has said will be the big product that will drive the company even further into the next few decades.
Calacanis said:
“Nobody will remember that Tesla ever made a car. They will only remember the Optimus.”
He added that Musk “is going to make a billion of those.”
Musk has stated this point himself, too. He at one point said that he predicted that “Optimus will be the biggest product of all-time by far. Nothing will even be close. I think it’ll be 10 times bigger than the next biggest product ever made.”
He has also indicated that he believes 80 percent of Tesla’s value will be Optimus.
Optimus aims to totally revolutionize the way people live, and Musk has said that working will be optional due to its presence. Tesla’s hopes for Optimus truly show a crystal clear image of the future and what could be possible with humanoid robots and AI.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk trolls budget airline after it refuses Starlink on its planes
Tesla Robotaxi’s biggest rival sends latest statement with big expansion
