The first gasoline-powered taxicabs appeared in New York in 1907.
The arrival followed the collapse of New York’s early electric-cab industry. The Electric Vehicle Company had operated as many as 1,000 battery-powered taxis, but a January 1907 fire destroyed 300 vehicles. The Panic of 1907 further weakened the company, helping gasoline cars gain the opening.
Harry N. Allen responded by importing gasoline-powered cars from France and founding the New York Taxicab Company. Accounts differ on the exact number imported: New York taxi histories commonly mention 65 cars, while broader taxi histories cite 600. The year itself is consistent.
A common mix-up is assuming New York’s yellow taxis began with gasoline engines. Electric taxis actually arrived earlier: Samuel’s Electric Carriage and Wagon Company began operating electric hansom cabs in 1897. Yellow became the famous taxi color only later, after Allen repainted his fleet for visibility.