Tesla Fleet: Travelers to Amsterdam will soon be riding in Model X taxis
If you’ve flown to Amsterdam any time in the past four years, you’ve surely noticed Schiphol Airport’s fleet of 167 Tesla Model S taxis - you may even have ridden in one to your hotel. Schiphol is a world leader in electromobility — it has used electric buses to transfer passengers between airplanes and terminals since 2014, and a fleet of 100 e-buses will soon go into service on six lines in the airport environs.
Above: Schiphol Airport’s fleet of Tesla Model X taxis (Source: Charged via InsideEVs)
Now the company that operates Schiphol’s famous Tesla taxi fleet, BIOS-groep, has announced plans to replace all of its Model S sedans with Model X SUVs.
Above: BIOS-groep is the company that owns this massive Tesla fleet (Source: InsideEVs)
After a few years of heavy service, the Model S are getting a bit old, and the company decided that the roomier Model X would be a better vehicle for airport runs, which naturally tend to require a lot of luggage space.
Above: A look back at the original fleet of Model S sedans that's now being replaced by Model X SUVs at Schiphol Airport (Youtube: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol)
BIOS-groep collaborated with Tesla to install its own on-site charging solution. Level 2 AC chargers charge the taxis overnight, and 60 kW Tesla DC fast chargers are used for top-ups during the day. All the electricity comes from renewable sources.
Above: Schiphol Airport’s on-site set-up for charging the Tesla fleet of taxis (Above: Source: Charged via InsideEVs)
“The Model S have held up beautifully since they’ve been put to work in 2014, having an average of over 250,000-300,000 km on each odometer by the end of 2017,” said Stef Hesselink, Managing Director of BIOS-groep. “We loved Model X, and the ability to transport up to seven adults as well as their luggage coupled with the high residual value of the Model S, made a very appealing case.”
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Written by: Charles Morris; This article originally appeared in Charged. Source: InsideEVs
