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1,066 Tesla Model 3s were licensed by the TLC on October 12, 2026: 1,052 for-hire vehicles (FHVs) and 14 yellow taxis. It is the only sedan among the electric models in the top 20, and it is the most common electric yellow cab.
The Model 3 is also one of the older EV groups in the fleet. It has cars back to model-year 2018, and very few newer than 2023, while the much larger Tesla Model Y keeps adding new ones.
How we counted
TLC's FHV list and authorized taxi list do not record make or model. The model comes from NHTSA's vPIC decoder, which we ran on every VIN. Every Model 3 decodes as battery electric.
Model years: early EVs and a 2023 group
The Model 3 has three parts:
- Early cars, 2018–2022: 63, 78, 137, 121 and 113 vehicles a year. These include all 14 taxis (2 from 2020, 12 from 2021). The Model Y fleet starts later, at 2020.
- A 2023 group: 510 cars. Many EVs in the fleet are 2023 models. TLC took new EV-only license applications from anyone from October 19 to November 13, 2023 (Industry Notice 23-09); the data does not show which license each car holds.
- Very few since: 16 (2024), 21 (2025) and 7 (2026).
So if you are offered a used TLC Model 3, there is a good chance it is a 2023 or older car. Check the model year on the title and look up open recalls by VIN at NHTSA.
The 14 Tesla taxis
Battery-electric cabs are rare: only 26 of 10,236 authorized taxis decode as battery electric, and 14 are Model 3s. No more can join. TLC's hack-up page says every hack-up since October 18, 2024 must be an accessible vehicle, and TLC's February 2026 review says no accessible electric vehicle is on the U.S. market. A non-accessible taxi like the Model 3 has a scheduled retirement date under rule 67-18; see TLC vehicle retirement age for how it is set, and approved wheelchair accessible vehicles for what can replace it.
Powertrain and base types
1,049 Model 3s are at black car bases (the type app trips go through), 3 at livery bases, and 14 are taxis. None are marked wheelchair accessible; 2 carry TLC's undefined "PILOT" label.
Charging and the app companies
Whether you drive a Model 3 cab or an app car, charging is your fuel. TLC's February 2026 review says TLC drivers get a 15% discount at NYC DOT fast-charging sites; see EV charging for TLC drivers. For app work, every trip in a battery-electric car counts toward the share of zero-emission or accessible trips that Uber and Lyft must reach under TLC's rule; read the Green Rides Initiative. That rule is on the companies, not on you.
Rules for FHV Model 3 drivers
- EV-only licenses stay EV. 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. See EV FHV license rules.
- No new EV licenses. Only WAV-restricted FHV licenses are available today; see can I get an EV TLC license now.
- Switching cars on an existing license is a vehicle transfer: TLC plates for FHVs. Inspections: TLC vehicle inspection.
Read the Tesla Model Y, Toyota bZ4X and Fisker Ocean pages, or TLC electric vehicle fleet statistics. Compare charging and fuel in EV vs hybrid for Uber in NYC and the EV savings tool.
More in the EV topic and vehicles topic; try the lease-vs-buy tool.
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.
- Tesla Model 3: licensed TLC vehicles by model year — Active FHVs and authorized medallion taxis that are a Tesla Model 3, 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.
- Tesla Model 3 in the TLC fleet: hybrid, electric or gas — Licensed Tesla Model 3 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
- Tesla Model 3: where it is licensed (FHV base type vs medallion taxi) — Licensed Tesla Model 3 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, 2 PILOT. App-based (high-volume) work generally runs through black car bases.
Frequently asked questions
How many Tesla Model 3s are licensed by the TLC?
1,066 in the October 12, 2026 snapshot: 1,052 for-hire vehicles and 14 yellow taxis. TLC Help counted them by decoding VINs with NHTSA's vPIC decoder.
Are there Tesla yellow taxis in NYC?
Yes, a few. 14 authorized medallion taxis decode as Model 3s (2 from model-year 2020 and 12 from 2021), plus 2 Model Ys. Across all 10,236 taxis, only 26 decode as battery electric.
Can a new Model 3 be hacked up as a taxi?
No. Since October 18, 2024 every taxi hack-up must be an accessible vehicle, and the Model 3 is not on TLC's approved accessible list. TLC also says no accessible electric vehicle is on the U.S. market.
Why do so few TLC Model 3s come from 2024–2026?
The data shows 510 from model-year 2023 but only 44 from 2024 through 2026. The data does not say why; it only shows that recent EV additions to the fleet are mostly other models, led by the Model Y.
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
- TLC: Yellow Cab Hack-Up nyc.gov
- TLC Rule Book Chapter 67 (Taxicab Hack-up and Maintenance) nyc.gov
- TLC Industry Notice 23-09: New EV license applications halted nyc.gov
- TLC: FHV License Review, February 2026 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.