New York City – Today, Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-Queens & Brooklyn) and Councilman David Yassky (D-Brooklyn) announced a plan to encourage Ford Motor Company to make a hybrid version of its Crown Victoria taxi.
Currently, there are 13,000 cabs on the streets of New York City, 95% of them are Ford Crown Victorias. In New York City alone, the Crown Victoria taxi fleet uses 48,482,353 gallons of gas each year, a cost of approximately $8000 for gas to keep each cab on the road.
A similar size fleet of hybrid Crown Victorias would use approximately 10,000,000 less gallons of gas, saving a substantial amount of money for individual taxi drivers. With this hybrid, the annual cost of fuel for each cab would drop by $1,000 or 21%.
The Crown Victoria is hailed by taxi drivers, fleet owners and police departments as the safest and longest lasting vehicle on the market, however, it’s not the most environmentally friendly or fuel efficient. Hybrids, which capture energy for their batteries from stop-and-go braking, are ideal for New York City cabs.
Recently, Taxi ‘07, a collective of designers, automobile manufacturers and representatives of the Taxi and Limousine Commission who are charting the future of the New York taxicab announced a design competition open to all automakers. It’s clear that lack of fuel efficiency is a major drawback to the Crown Victoria, which could be remedied by making it a hybrid, and would help keep the safest and most durable cab on the road.
“Ford has a unique opportunity to team with New York City cab drivers and adopt a green strategy for the most durable cab on the road,” said Weiner. “Hybrid technology is available and affordable, leaving no reason not to convert New York City’s taxi fleet. Developing a hybrid Crown Victoria makes environmental and business sense.”
“Cabbies are paying upwards of $100 a day on gas, making it difficult for some of these working-class drivers to make ends meet,” Yassky said. “Hybrid drivers use half as much gas per mile and spend half as much time at the pump. Add together the savings on gas and minus the wasted time, and cabbies will be more available and more prosperous.”
“The Committee for Taxi Safety has expressed our support for positive incentives to encourage medallion owners and operators to purchase hybrid and other fuel efficient vehicles,” said Michael Levine, President of Commission on Taxi Safety. “As fleet operators we certainly support the continuing development of such vehicles.”
Weiner and Yassky also encouraged New Yorkers to visit Weiner’s website at www.house.gov/weiner to take part in a poll under the “Make Yellow Taxis Green” icon - Should the federal and city governments demand that a hybrid version of these New York City taxis be designed?
