A former Japanese schoolteacher is doing his bit to help the environment by launching a company using Toyota’s gasoline-electric powered Prius car in what he claims is the world’s first hybrid “Eco-Taxi” service.

Hideki Nakamura, the 54-year-old president of New Trans System, which began operating late last month, said the Eco-Taxi was a way to raise public awareness of environmental problems.

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Hi Jason:

___What about that Prius I taxi driver up in the Vancouver area? He was doing this back in early 2000 IIRC? Maybe it is the entire company but I have seen studies on Taxi-cab fleets and an HEV doesn’t make economic sense from a business standpoint due to the high initial costs.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

Either this is the first actual commercial fleet exclusively using hybrids or the author was misinformed.

I disagree that hybrids don't make sense in this business. To the contrary, I think the fact that taxis rack up the miles so quickly (being used a great portion of the day, if not 24 hours) would make them very realistic. If the average driver goes 15,000 miles a year but only drives 1 or 2 hours a day, think about a car that drives 20 hours a day. They'd save one hekuvalot more money.

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Hi Jason:

___There was an article, in the Chicago Tribune Transportation section a few months ago (IIRC?), where they looked into a Prius II’s for Taxicab use. What the author of the article found was that most of the Taxi-Cab’s being purchased were used Chevrolet Caprice’s and with conversions cost just $7,000 - $8,000. I don’t remember the total miles/year driven but it must have been ~ 50,000 or more miles. If the average Caprice received ~ 15 mpg around town for 50,000 miles/year, they would have a yearly fuel charge of ~ $6,650 .00 vs. $2,200 for a Prius II at 45 mpg. With the price of an average Prius II somewhere in the $23,000 + range and another $1,250 in taxes, you could drive the Caprice for far in excess of 200,000 miles and they would break even on fuel costs alone. Just imagine what the repair costs of a Prius II in Taxi-Cab use would be at 200,000 miles? It would be cost prohibitive given the suspension and steering HW abuse a Taxi Cab receives let alone the Pack replacement and HW repair needed in that kind of environment. If there is anything that can be said for American Iron, large American city - Taxi-Cab use/abuse is its saving grace.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

The local car-share service here in Madison, WI uses two hybrids as part of their fleet of 4 vehicles. The two hybrids are a Civic Hybrid and a Prius.

Eric Powers

MHG Organizer - www.MadisonHybridGroup.com
Hybridfest 2008 - A Hybrid Electric Car Show and More! www.hybridfest.com
Madison, WI July 19 & 20, 2008

I always thought the best way for Toyota to promote the prius would be to give a couple free to cab drivers and follow up with them. Cabs put on miles like crazy - soon they would have priuses with 100.000+ miles on them and they could look at the service records and say: here we have a good quality car that will give you excellent mileage and fuel economy. That would make a great commercial and would convince many non-believers that the hybrids are as good as normal cars.

2001 Toyota ECHO 5sp 2dr
CarDomain | Mileage

Your talking about a brand new freaking car vrs a used (and probably VERY used by police forces under its previous ownership) one though. What is this conversion your talking about? Putting an electric motor and mating it to the Caprices engine? If so, that makes sence. If not, then thats one very biased review.

Although Prius I's are probably inadequate for taxi use (ever sit in the back seat of a Caprice? Almost have Maybachish legroom) they would be more suitable for an equal comparison. Prius I's, mile per mile, cost probably two or three grand more than a Caprice. Noting the way taxi cab drivers leave their engines running idle for better than a quarter of the cars life (I know, I used to work at a taxi business) and considering that Prius' engine shuts down at a stop, I would think within even maybe a year or two the Prius would pay for itself on fuel savings alone.

BUT, if their talking about doing a conversion where the Caprice would get a hybrid drivetrain for ~$7,000, then that would be good economics to just go with the hybrid Caprice. Otherwise, its better economics to get the Prius I. Maybe in two or three years it would make good business sense to even get the Prius II.

1999 Camaro Z28 6-Speed
2002 Honda Insight CVT Sold
AIM - PHeNoM Z28

Hi Çhý££ íñ thé Ãír:

___The discussion wasn’t about comparing a used taxi to a new Prius, it was about total costs and what is being used as taxi’s in just about every major city including Chicago … The Caprice, Malibu’s, and Crown Vic’s are the automobile of choice for Taxi use, not Prius’.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net