Nissan has delivered the vehicles that became Madrid and Barcelona’s first 100 percent electric taxi.

These first Spanish EV taxis are a Nissan Leaf for Madrid’s taxi fleet and a e-NV200 taxi for Barcelona.

Nissan stated the Barcelona deliveries served as an important step in the execution of an agreement between Nissan, the City of Barcelona, and the Barcelona Metropolitan area which brings the Barcelona-built e-NV200 to the streets of the city where the revolutionary electric van is produced.

“Declining air quality levels are a top concern across Europe and it’s great to see Madrid and Barcelona taking such positive steps in improving air quality through the incorporate of Nissan’s all-electric cars into their taxi fleets,” said Jean-Pierre Diernaz, Director of Electric Vehicles for Nissan Europe. “These taxi bring a huge benefit not only residents but also for the drivers – thanks to the ultra-low running costs only an electric car can offer. This scheme demonstrates that sustainable transportation is easy and affordable for everyone.”

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An event was held at Puerta del Sol in Madrid, where the “Zero KM” the measuring starting point of all the Spanish roads is located, to celebrate the arrival of this first Leaf taxi.

Antonio Berzal Prieto is the first taxi driver in Madrid to choose electric technology for his business.

“When I heard that the Nissan LEAF had been approved as a taxi for the city, I quickly looked into all the options it offered me,” said Antonio Berzal Prieto. “In addition to the environmental benefits, the costs of ownership are highly competitive and the car’s performance is excellent.”

Meanwhile in Barcelona, the delivery of the first three Nissan e-NV200 Taxis took place during the Expo-electric Formula-e event, described by Nissan as one of the most important meetings on sustainable mobility in Europe. Marco Toro, Nissan Iberia Managing Director and Antoni Vives, Deputy Mayor for Urban Habitat at Barcelona City Council, attended the event.

These first three e-NV200 Taxis units are, according to Nissan, part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed last year between Nissan, the Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, which set out a number of different and significant measures to promote and to sustain the rollout of sustainable mobility in Catalonia Region.

The e-NV200 began production in Barcelona in May, with the Catalan city building the electric commercial vehicle for the global market.