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With Uber threatening to pack up and leave Quebec, Alexandre Taillefer is planning a major expansion of his Téo Taxi all-electric service.

On Wednesday, the entrepreneur who founded Téo in 2015 said he will more than triple the number of vehicles in the Téo fleet. It will have 350 cars within 18 months, up from the current 110 cars. The first 40 new vehicles are to arrive in two months.

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Taillefer said the plan was already in the works before Uber’s threat, but he sees a greater opportunity now that Uber will either leave the market or operate under the same rules as Téo.

Uber has about 10,000 drivers in Quebec. Taillefer estimated Uber controls about 25 per cent of the Montreal market and carries passengers on 75,000 trips to and from Trudeau Airport every month.

Téo has been preparing for its expansion by hiring new drivers. Last week, 500 drivers applied, half of whom currently work for Uber, Taillefer told reporters after giving a speech at a conference about sustainable mobility.