I step out the door and see a brand-spanking new Gen III Prius picking up a ride. The driver was grinning. All I could imagine was - why hadn't they done this years ago!!!! Saw that there was plenty of room in the back for two adults and a kid. Plenty of room up front too. The cost saving to the operator has to be more than significant, and to those denizens (like me) who hustle their way about town - relief from the noxious gases that envelop the rats living in a megalopolis. I'll try to capture a shot sometime in the near future. It'll be like hunting a gazelle amidst all the water buffalo (Ford Crown Victoria)
Yes, I've seen one a couple of times too. They're rare. You see many more Gen II's around like this: There would be a lot more Prius taxis around if the fleet owners weren't successful in getting the Federal Court to strike down Mayor Bloomberg's 2008 and 2009 attempts to impose minimum gas mileage requirements for new taxis in NYC. There is a PriusChatter here who owns and drives a Gen III 2010 Prius NYC taxi. I wish he would post pictures of his. I wouldn't be surprised if that was his Gen III taxi that you and I saw.
That's a nice shot. Thanks for the info. on fleet owners try to put a damper on eco vehicles. I am not surprised as New York City politics tends to work in reverse, not putting much regard to quality of life issues. Maybe, I get lucky and see that lone Gen III out there? Cheers, CapeAnn
There's a fair number of Gen II taxis in the San Jose area. I saw a Gen III several weeks ago. Granted, there's lots of non-taxi Prius here (I'm estimating 1 in 15 cars, more in certain areas).
Good for the taxi companies doing this! I wonder if they drive on tires kept a little softer than most of us, to soak up the bumps more?
The most common hybrid taxi in NYC is the Ford Escape. I would estimate that 20% of all taxis are Ford Escape Hybrids.
I've been seeing the occasional Gen 3 taxi around here but nearly all taxis are currently Gen 2 Prius. Its getting rare to see any taxi that is not a Prius.
Last minute Christmas shopping today in Chinatown and Soho. Spotted a Gen III taxi stopped at a traffic light on Grand Street and Broadway. The taxi was all dirty from black road slush from this week's snow -- hardly ready for its close-up. But I took these photos anyway: [IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20683&d=1261694905[/IMGLINK] [IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20684&d=1261694905[/IMGLINK] [IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20685&d=1261694905[/IMGLINK] [IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20686&d=1261694931[/IMGLINK] [IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=20687&d=1261694959[/IMGLINK]
Glad to see the proof. One of the reasons I got my GenIII was that if NYC cabbies had them then they must be good Apologies for the poor picture but was taken on a friends phone one quiet day. Will arrange some nicer ones soon
I'm glad you explained that was road grime. Knowing how some NYC cabbies drive, I thought it might be brake dust.
Here is the NYC Taxi list of approved vehicles. Taxicab Vehicles In Use The Following Vehicles are Currently in Use as New York City Taxicabs 2009-Ford Crown Victoria Stretch 2009-Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 2009-Saturn Aura Hybrid 2009-Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 2009-Volkswagen Jetta Clean Diesel Sedan 2009-Lexus RX400h 2009-Toyota Camry Hybrid 2009-Toyota Prius-48 mpg city 2009-Toyota Highlander Hybrid (4WD) 2009-Saturn Vue Greenline 2009-Nissan Altima Hybrid 2009-Ford Escape Hybrid (2WD) 2009-Mercury Mariner Hybrid (AWD) 2010-Camry Hybrid 2010-Prius 2010-Highlander Hybrid 2010-Ford Crown Victoria Stretch 2010-Ford Escape Hybrid (2WD) The following are the approved for use as Wheelchair Accessible Taxicabs: 2007-Eclipse Mobility Dodge Caravan 2007-Eldorado National Mobility Chevrolet Uplander 2007-2008 Autovan Toyota Sienna 2007-2008 Freedom Motors Toyota Sienna Kneelvan 2008-2009 Freedom Motors Toyota Sienna Kneelvan Additional vehicle models come on the market from time to time that may comply with TLC rules. Any questions about a vehicle model not listed above, or about any vehicle retirement issue, should be referred to TLC hack site at (718) 267-4501.
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With the number of miles taxis drive each year (100k-200k+?), Toyota reliability, and excellent room for people and bags, the Prius seems like a no-brainer for that business. Do they actually make a taxi-specific version of the Prius? Tough vinyl seats, tough rubber floor covering (rather than carpet), bullet-proof partitions, etc?
