Lincoln Nautilus: 331 TLC Cars, Hybrid Data & Rules

331 Lincoln Nautilus SUVs held TLC licenses on October 12, 2026, all as for-hire vehicles (FHVs). It ranks 42nd among TLC models and is the third most common Lincoln, after the Aviator and the Navigator L.

The Nautilus is one of the youngest models in the fleet. Its median model year is 2025, and 65.9% are model year 2024 or newer. It also leans more toward luxury limousine bases than almost any car near it in the rankings.

How the count was made

TLC's FHV list and medallion vehicle list don't name the make or model. TLC Help ran each VIN through NHTSA's vPIC decoder and published only the totals. vPIC gives the model name and its fuel fields; it can misread a few model years. Counts are for one day.

A fleet of new cars

Model year 2025 has 96 cars and 2026 already has 88. Those two years alone are 55.6% of the total. Older years are small: 8 from 2019 and 13 from 2020. Nothing on TLC plates is older than 2019.

For comparison, TLC's model-year data puts about 31% of all FHVs at model year 2024 or newer. The Nautilus is at twice that. New FHV licenses are now issued only for wheelchair accessible vehicles (TLC), and the Nautilus is not one. So these new SUVs most likely replaced older cars on licenses that already existed. The data can't confirm that for any one car.

Half hybrid

The split is nearly even. That makes the Nautilus far more hybrid than the Lincoln Corsair (none hybrid, 11.5% plug-in) or the Aviator (1.4% plug-in). For all FHVs, about 30% decode as hybrid.

The EPA lists two 2025 versions. The 2.0-liter turbo AWD is rated 24 mpg combined (EPA); the hybrid (HEV) AWD is rated 30 mpg combined (EPA). Both use regular gas. EPA figures are lab test results; your own mileage in traffic will differ. To see what 6 mpg is worth over a year of driving, use the lease-vs-buy tool or read EV vs hybrid for Uber in NYC.

Base types: more luxury than average

295 (89.1%) are at black car bases, which handle app trips. 31 (9.4%) are at luxury limousine bases and 5 at livery bases. Across all 104,845 FHVs, only 1,383 vehicles (1.3%) are at luxury limousine bases, so the Nautilus is about seven times more likely to be there. None are marked wheelchair accessible.

For a car with fewer than eight passenger seats, rule 59A-12(c) sets bodily-injury minimums of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident for black car and livery vehicles, but $500,000 and $1,000,000 for luxury limousines. See FHV insurance requirements before you affiliate with that kind of base.

Switching your license to a Nautilus

You need an existing FHV license that is not restricted to accessible vehicles. Rule 59A-09(a) in chapter 59 gives you 15 days after DMV registration to file the vehicle transfer, and TLC approves it only after the car passes inspection. Details: TLC plates for FHVs and TLC vehicle inspection. TLC's current FHV rules set no fixed retirement age (TLC vehicle retirement age).

The Volvo XC90 figure includes mild hybrids. Also compare the Ford Explorer, Mitsubishi Outlander and every model in TLC fleet by make and model.

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