HCH II Taxis!
 

I thought you guys would enjoy hearing that there seems to be a fleet of bright yellow HCH II taxis running around the Hartford, CT area. I saw my first one heading north on 91 last weekend and just saw another one running around town (Hartford suburb). It speaks very well for them since no company would put a car into service as a taxi if they didn't think it was a good financial decision. Now the real question: do the drivers know about P&G or do they just drive it like a tiny crown vic?

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

I bet they drive it like a tiny Crown Victoria. Regardless, they are using less than half as much gas and saving a ton of money with the 100,000 miles per year that a cab does.

I just wonder what they do when three big people want a ride, or someone wants to go to the airport with more than one suitcase.

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

I think I could fit 2-3 large suitcases in the trunk of my '06??

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

We have a company using the black prius for limmo service here in Los Angeles. I'm also happy to see the civic & prius available as rentals at LAX (Los Angeles International).

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

That's cool!!!!:)

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Nice. You should take some pictures, I'd like to see that.
Is the HCH II trunk bigger than the HCH I? If so, I'm jealous... the trunk on my '05 is smaller than my 95 civic's was.

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Very sweet! I second IMAhybrid's request for pictures- what a cool thing. Did you happen to catch the company name? Because I'd like to google them and see if they're advertising it or if maybe they have pictures up themselves. It could be a good ad strategy, in addition to the fuel savings.

As for the driving strategy, taxi drivers have always driven differently than any other people on the planet. Without giving it much thought, I would guess that they have some of the least FE driving mannerisms out there, all collected together. Driving hybrids might change this a bit- it would be interesting to ask the drivers if it does or not. Hmmmmm.... food for thought. Thanks for the tidbit!

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

I don't know the name, but I could always keep a camera handy and see what I can do. I'll post back if I can learn more about them.

Tim

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Pics would be cool!:)

The town I live in has an '05 HCH as a town vehicle....my tax dollars at work.;)

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Town vehicle ????

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

AHA! I was very late for work this morning and accidentally found out where one of these cab drivers gets her morning coffee. I didn't have my camera but got a really good look this time! Between the distinctive wheels and little spoiler there was no doubt what that car was. The side said "Yellow Cab" and "666-6666" which is the number listed in the phone book.

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Taxi drivers rush because the sooner they drop off that passenger the sooner they can make money on the next one.

The owner of the fleet could make them pay for their own gas, or pay them a fixed amount that would work out to 45 MPG.
That would slow them down.

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Well, I guess it only took me 4 months to come through with a pic. But here she is! I found this one travelling on I-84 west-bound toward Hartford with one passenger. The cabby and the guy in the back were engaged in some kind of conversation, perhaps about the car? I was doing about 60 and they were passing right at the speed limit (65mph).

I resized the image, but the wheels make it obvious along with the HYBRID badge and spoiler if you can make them out:


https://www.greenhybrid.com/share/fi...xi_Resized.jpg

**EDIT**
If you want to see a slightly larger version, here it is:
https://www.greenhybrid.com/share/fi...3/IMG_0022.JPG

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Winnipeg's taxi fleet shrinking
Firms choosing smaller, more fuel-efficient cars

Thu Aug 10 2006

By Larry Kusch

Unicity Taxi hopes to add Honda Civic hybrids to its fleet of vehicles.


THE Manitoba Taxicab Board will decide Aug. 23 whether to approve the hybrid version of the Honda Civic sedan for use in Winnipeg's cab fleet.
Honda lists the Civic's trunk size at 10 cubic feet, well shy of the taxicab board standard of 15 cubic feet. The car's battery pack takes up a lot of space that would normally be devoted to trunk cargo.

Unicity Taxi has asked the board to change trunk size rules to accommodate the fuel-efficient car.

Jerry Kozubal, secretary of the taxicab board, said that when the board measured the Civic's trunk and made allowances for other useable space, it determined that the car's usable storage space was more like 13 cubic feet.

The board then decided to measure the usable trunk space in all other makes of cars in the taxi fleet before making a decision on the Honda.

That information was not available for yesterday's taxicab board meeting, Kozubal said. But it will be for the next scheduled meeting on Aug. 23.
Meanwhile, Kozubal said the number of hybrid cars and other fuel-efficient vehicles is growing daily within the city's 409-car taxi fleet.

In the past 12 days, about a dozen hybrid vehicles have been added, bringing the total to 52.

Hybrid cars, which run on a combination of gasoline and electric power, use as little as one-third the fuel of a large eight-cylinder car.

There are now 50 hybrid Toyota Priuses used as city taxis, compared with 40 on July 29, and two hybrid Ford Escapes, compared with one at the end of last month.

Cab owners have also replaced traditional gas-guzzling eight-cylinder vehicles with a variety of other smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles in recent months, Kozubal said.

"It seems like every day were getting a couple of vehicles coming in, taking a larger car off the road ... and basically putting on a smaller car," he said.

http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:...a&ct=clnk&cd=1

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Yep, I've seen a Ford Escape Hybrid taxi today in Winnipeg south. At first I was stunned by the sight of an SUV with Taxi markings, but then I noticed the typical vent on the read side window - and yes, it was an FEH.

I've haven't seen any HCH-II with Taxi markings yet, but the Prius cabs are all over the place. In a short drive I can spot 6 -10 Prius taxis parked at the shopping mall or simply driving in the immediate main access roads.


Cheers;

MSantos

Re: HCH II Taxis!
 

Brick,

Thanks for the picture! Good shot, too- I recognized my little HCH shape despite the yellow paint. Even if it was a while coming, it was worth it. That's going to make me smile all day. Hybrid taxis-- people are starting to get it! It's spreading! This kind of thing just gives me such encouragement, because small improvements are like a snowflake- by itself, it melts, and disappears, but add enough of them up and the weight can turn into an avalanche and level buildings. We've got a snowball here, and it's rolling, and only building up speed.

:)