The long, sleek luxury cars that serve corporate clients throughout New York City may soon be shorter and greener. The city’s 10,000 black car fleet will soon have to meet fuel efficiency standards currently achievable only by cute hybrids.
In December the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission approved regulations requiring all yellow taxis licensed after October 1, 2008 to meet hybrid fuel efficiency standards. Now the commission will require the same of the black car fleet–typified by the luxury Chrysler Town Car.
New efficiency standards will cut emissions by half, reducing the 272,000 tons of CO2 equivalents currently produced by the large vehicles each year, which average only 12-15 miles per gallon (mpg).
New licensed black car vehicles will be required to achieve 25 mpg in 2009 and 30 mpg in 2010.
To help drivers finance the down payment associated with buying a new car, the City said it is working with partners in the financial sector, auto dealers, and black car fleets to develop a range of products that will finance the higher down payment.
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