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2,731 Fisker Oceans were licensed as NYC for-hire vehicles (FHVs) on October 12, 2026. That makes the Ocean the second most common electric car in the TLC fleet after the Tesla Model Y, about 1 in 5 battery-electric FHVs.
That is unusual for a car whose maker went through bankruptcy in 2024. In addition, the Oceans on NYC streets are almost all from just two model years. If you drive one, the practical questions are about repairs, recalls and keeping the car passing TLC inspections.
How we counted
TLC's FHV list and medallion taxi list have no model column. We ran each car's VIN through NHTSA's vPIC decoder to find the model. Every Ocean decodes as battery electric, and the list is a snapshot of one day.
Two model years, one source
There are 2,026 Oceans from model-year 2023 and 705 from 2024, and nothing else. No other top-20 model is this narrow.
Here is what a news source, not TLC, reported. In July 2024, TechCrunch covered a proposed bankruptcy sale of Fisker's North American Ocean inventory to American Lease, a company it said "services ride-hail drivers in the New York City area." The same article said a Fisker owners' group wanted promises about spare parts and an open water-pump recall. We have not seen a TLC or court document on how many Oceans ended up in NYC through that deal, so we only report what the TLC list shows today.
Powertrain and base types
2,729 of 2,731 Oceans are at black car bases, the bases that dispatch app trips. That 99.9% is higher than any other top-20 model. None are yellow taxis, none are at luxury limousine bases, and none are wheelchair accessible.
If you drive an Ocean: what to check
Inspections are not optional. Under rule 59A-26(a) in TLC's chapter 59, missing or failing the required inspections means a $100 fine and suspension of the vehicle license until the car passes, and rule 59B-26(a) bars your base from dispatching a car that missed one. If a part is hard to get, a car can sit idle. For a long repair, rule 59A-36 lets you put an FHV license in storage for up to 90 days, once per two-year term, if your plates are surrendered to DMV first and you have no suspensions, unpaid TLC fines or pending transfers. See FHV license storage and TLC vehicle inspection.
Check recalls yourself. NHTSA's recall lookup shows open recalls for your VIN.
Your license may be EV-only. Many Oceans are 2023 models, and TLC accepted EV-only license applications from October 19 to November 13, 2023 (Industry Notice 23-09). If your license came from that program, your replacement car must also be fully battery electric. See EV FHV license rules and can I switch my TLC car to an EV.
Leasing rights. If you lease from a company, FHV lease rules apply; see buying or leasing a TLC vehicle.
Compare the Tesla Model Y, Toyota bZ4X, Cadillac Lyriq and Kia Niro, or see TLC electric vehicle fleet statistics. Charging and running costs: EV vs hybrid for Uber in NYC and the EV savings tool.
Try the lease-vs-buy tool or browse the EV topic and vehicles topic.
Data on this page
Aggregates of public data. They describe trips and vehicles, never individual people.
TLC's vehicle lists have no make/model column, so TLC Help decoded the VIN of every licensed vehicle with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (one representative VIN per manufacturer + model-descriptor + model-year pattern) and published only counts. 5 of 115,081 vehicles (0%) could not be decoded to a model and are left out. vPIC sometimes reports trim-family names (e.g. 'RX' not 'RX 350h'); powertrain comes from vPIC's electrification/fuel fields and may misclassify a few model years. Snapshot lists change daily.
- Fisker Ocean: licensed TLC vehicles by model year — Active FHVs and authorized medallion taxis that are a Fisker Ocean, by model year.NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026Model year from TLC's vehicle_year / model_year columns. Age limits for TLC vehicles come from TLC rules, not this chart.
- Fisker Ocean in the TLC fleet: hybrid, electric or gas — Licensed Fisker Ocean vehicles by powertrain (from decoded VINs).NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026
- Fisker Ocean: where it is licensed (FHV base type vs medallion taxi) — Licensed Fisker Ocean vehicles by fleet: FHVs by the type of base they are affiliated with, and medallion taxis.NYC Open Data: FHV - Active (8wbx-tsch) and Medallion Vehicles - Authorized (rhe8-mgbb), VINs decoded with NHTSA vPIC · pulled Oct 12, 2026Wheelchair-accessible (FHV list): 0 WAV, 0 PILOT. App-based (high-volume) work generally runs through black car bases.
Frequently asked questions
How many Fisker Oceans are licensed by the TLC?
2,731 in the October 12, 2026 snapshot, all for-hire vehicles. That is 2.37% of all TLC vehicles and about 20% of the 13,688 battery-electric FHVs. TLC Help counted them by decoding VINs with NHTSA's vPIC decoder.
Why are there so many Fisker Oceans in NYC?
In July 2024, during Fisker's bankruptcy, TechCrunch reported a proposed sale of Fisker's North American Ocean inventory to American Lease, a company serving ride-hail drivers in the New York City area. The TLC data only shows the result: 2,026 model-year 2023 and 705 model-year 2024 Oceans on FHV plates.
What happens if my Ocean can't pass a TLC inspection?
FHVs must be inspected three times a year. Under rule 59A-26(a) the fine is $100 plus suspension of the vehicle license until the defect is fixed and the car passes, and a base may not dispatch a car that missed an inspection (59B-26(a)). Ask your lessor in writing who handles repairs and parts.
How do I check if my Fisker Ocean has an open recall?
Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls). TechCrunch reported an open recall on the Ocean's water pump in 2024; check the current status for your own car.
Can I replace my Fisker with a hybrid?
It depends on your license. If your FHV license was issued as an EV-only license, rule 59A-06(a)(3)/(a)(4) restricts it to fully battery electric vehicles. Confirm your license type with TLC before you switch cars.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- NYC Open Data: For Hire Vehicles (FHV) – Active (8wbx-tsch) data.cityofnewyork.us
- NYC Open Data: Medallion Vehicles – Authorized (rhe8-mgbb) data.cityofnewyork.us
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder API vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
- TechCrunch: Fisker has one major objector to its Ocean SUV fire sale (July 15, 2024) techcrunch.com
- NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 59 (For-Hire Vehicles), updated Feb 27, 2026 nyc.gov
- TLC Industry Notice 23-09: New EV license applications halted nyc.gov
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the official source.
TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.