NYC Taxi Fleet Begins Hybrid Conversion

The conversion of New York City's taxi fleet to high fuel-economy vehicles has begun. According to a report in the New York Times, almost 8 percent of the city's 13,000 taxis are now hybrid vehicles. A municipal mandate requires that all cabs that operate in the city must achieve a fuel economy of at least 30 miles per gallon by 2012. Currently, the only vehicles capable of attaining this fuel economy in city driving conditions are hybrid vehicles.

The Ford Escape comprises 83 percent of NYC's hybrid fleet. Other models include the Toyota Highlander and Prius, the Nissan Altima and the Lexus RX 400hs. Despite the popularity of the Prius as a passenger car, Toyota did not aggressively push it as a fleet vehicle because it was not designed to be driven as a taxi.

According to the drivers, the hybrid vehicles consume $25-$30 less in gasoline each day than their conventional Crown Victoria counterparts. Some drivers report spending as little as $10 per day on fuel. Some passengers, particularly older people, have complained about the height of the Escape, and drivers are concerned about the replacement cost of the battery packs, which range into the thousands of dollars. Ford has indicated that many hybrid Escape taxis have exceeded 200,000 miles without evidence of battery failure.

In May, the Taxi and Limousine Commission will offer two new medallions - licenses to operate a cab - for $300,000 each, a discount from the going rate of $432,000 market price - on the condition that they are used on hybrid vehicles only.

Photo Credit: ijsendoorn
Source: New York Times