New York City will add 300 hybrids to its yellow taxi fleet each month, as a result of a new deal with three automanufacturers.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Taxi and Limousine (TLC) Commission Chairman Matthew W. Daus announced that Nissan North America, Inc. (NISA.BE) has committed to the availability of up to
200 Nissan Altima hybrids per month, General Motors (NYSE: GM) has committed to
the availability of 50 Chevrolet Malibu hybrids per month, and The Ford
Motor Company (NYSE: F) has committed to the availability of 50 Ford Escape
hybrids per month, and is seeking to guarantee more.
This exceeds the 210 vehicles per month that TLC estimates are needed to meet new fuel efficiency standards imposed by the City and are above and beyond those already available on the retail market.
"There are already over 1,300 hybrid taxis on the streets of New York," said TLC Chairman Daus. "They save drivers around $6,500 per year and have been passing inspections 85% of the time, as compared to the average 54% for other prevalent taxicab vehicles. Switching to a hybrid makes more sense for drivers’ wallets, and for our environment."
The TLC voted unanimously last December to approve new regulations requiring that, beginning October 1, 2008, all taxicabs coming into service, with the exception of accessible taxicabs, must achieve an EPA city mileage rating of 25 miles per gallon (mpg).
This regulation also provides that, as of October 2009, all new taxicab vehicles must achieve a minimum city driving rating of 30 mpg. Due to the combined regulations, by 2012 the taxi fleet will be all-hybrid, or a mix of hybrid and other clean vehicle types that produce similar mpg.
Loading...