Hybrid vehicles make a lot of sense for taxi cabs, since they log a lot of miles in stop-and-go traffic. According to Hybrid Cabs Take A Licking…But Their Meters Keep On Ticking, “30 San Francisco Escape Hybrid taxis are beginning to hit the 100,000-mile milestone,” and “owners and drivers report” a number of benefits:
Fuel savings between $20 and $31 over the traditional, full-size sedan cabs per 150- to 300-mile shifts. Air conditioning cost on hot days: $5 a shift, about half the sedan-version cost. Brakes are lasting twice as long. The reason: The electric engine acts as a second braking system, taking much of the load off the conventional friction brakes, says Tom Watson, Ford Hybrid Electric Vehicle Propulsion System engineering manager, Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Programs. Several water pumps blew at the 50,000-mile mark, a situation that’s been rectified, say Watson and San Francisco cab company owners. No legroom complaints from customers, who seem delighted by the novelty of the hybrid and by doing the right thing for the planet.