I always thought the taxi companies put in fleet orders directly to Ford and that the taxis came yellow from the factory.... I've seen them driving around as well as parked in a lot near where I live (sorry for the crappy phone pics)...





But then, a while later, in the same lot, I saw a bunch of brand new white ones lined up. I realized it's a body shop specializing in taxis. I talked to the guy there and said they come white, and his job is to paint them all yellow and install the meters...





BTW, he said the drivers absolutely love them, not only because they save so much money on gas, but they also love the way they drive compared to those big monster sedans.

 

I was reading that they had to get a special exemption to use them. The "regular" taxis are stretched to give them the required min rear leg room. The FEH's some up sort on that spec.

 

Right! That was one of the biggest issues when they were testing a bunch of different models... leg room. The standard taxis have a big huge barrier between front & back seats - it takes up a few inches of leg room.

The FEH taxis (and I think the Honda minivans) don't use this barrier. I'm not sure, but I remember something about video cameras being used instead. I hardly ever take taxis so I haven't seen the setup. I had to take one the other night, but it was a regular sedan - I walked for almost 20 blocks waiting for an available FEH, but only two went by and they were occupied.

 

And in this week's episode of Hybrid Taxi Tales...

They're not all white. I saw a silver one there today. I guess they just order light colors that are easy to paint yellow over.

But that's not the big surprise...

There's a new kid on the block!

Introducing, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid Taxi...


There's another one inside.

 

FWIW...Ford has a video segment on their "Ford Bold Moves" blog about FEH taxis. It is video segment#8. A little propaganda-ish...but it is nice to see that Ford in trying to keep with the internet revolution (aka the new "hot" blog thing). Segments 6-8 are on hybrids I believe. Maybe they'll survive after all if they can pull their head out and make better business decisions.

I still think they would kick some Toyota butt if they ever came out with an Explorer, Expedition or F150 hybrid. A TRUE hybrid...not the crap GM is trying to pull with the Silverado. Those are the vehicles Americans are just waiting for. (Imagine an Expedition/F150 that got 25mpg...they'd be selling like hotcakes). Ford...are you listening??

(Sorry to get off subject)

http://www.fordboldmoves.com/episode.aspx?episode=8

Nate

 

I just keep stumbling upon more and more... Today, on skates instead of a bike, I happened upon CitySol. It's a sort of fair/party showcasing sustainable living and alternative energy. Pretty cool stuff with numerous bands & DJs powered by solar and biodiesel, lots of information about solar, wind, biofuels, green roofs, recycling, etc. etc..... and hybrid taxis!

Here are a few shots (again, excuse my crappy phone cam) of the info display, including a project with a series of proposals for hybrid taxi paint schemes to help them stand out and get the recognition they deserve.

 

Pretty interesting display. I like the comparison between the Crown Vic and the FEH. Too bad they underestimated the fuel usage by the Crown Vic by about 800 gallons (3rd photo chart) - it is a bigger difference than they show.

What I wonder though is how well the drivers are taking advatage of the hybrid features. I see many taxi drivers around Boston who idle for long periods of time waiting for a fare and I'm sure on a warm day they have the a/c on full blast.

I guess no matter what they do, the mileage will still be better than the big old sedan.