SF Yellow Cabs Adds 10 Escape Hybrids
22 February 2005
San Francisco Yellow Cabs has added 10 Ford Escape Hybrid SUVs to its fleet of taxis. San Francisco is the first city using hybrid SUVs as taxis.
The Escape Hybrids, which first took to the streets in December, are owned and operated by Yellow Cab Cooperative.
The Ford Escape Hybrid is ideal for our company. It gets better mileage in the city than on the highway, making it perfect for our streets, and its fuel economy is far better than other cabs in our fleet. And it’s roomier than other hybrids on the market.
—Nate Dwiri, president of the Yellow Cab Co-op
In addition to the ten Ford Escape Hybrid taxis operated by the Yellow Cab Cooperative, Luxor Cab Company of San Francisco has begun running a fleet of five Escape Hybrid Taxis purchased earlier this year.
With the price of gasoline ticking upward, the fuel economy argument for hybrids is going to become more compelling for businesses with fleets. Hybrid fuel economy versus conventional fuel economy could prove the swing factor in profitability—absent trying to pass along price increases to customers.
This could be huge imo--How many taxi's are there in the usa---The total miles driven each day by a taxi makes the hybrids economics a plus and the enviroment a big winner also---Hope to see many taxi companys follow suit
Posted by: Leslie Wilson | 23 February 2005 at 05:02 PM
This is great news imo---How many taxi's are there in the usa?---Perfect marriage of hybrid technology and bottom line economics----Its a win win,win for all involved--less oil imports--better for enviroment and fast payback on hybrid extra cost.
Posted by: Leslie Wilson | 23 February 2005 at 05:22 PM
Hybrids are not reliable cars. Taxi business cannot afford a car with high cost and a lot of factory mechanical problems. It has to have full size of the trunk and strong body to protect a passenger. Yes they not bad cars but not for money what make taxi driver after paying all fees and gates. The best today in business is cheap 4 cylinder Toyotas with less passenger protection, but you can find parts and fix it fast.
Posted by: Alexander Smook | 26 July 2005 at 01:08 PM