Hybrid taxi or hybrid electric taxi is a taxicab service provided with a hybrid electric car (HEV), which combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system.
In 2000, North America's first hybrid taxi was put into service in Vancouver, British Columbia, operating a 2001 Toyota Prius which traveled over before being retired. In 2015, taxi driver in Austria claims to have covered in his Toyota Prius with the original battery pack.
Several major cities in the world are adding hybrid taxis to their taxicab fleets, led by San Francisco where hybrid represent almost 50% of its taxicab fleet by March 2010, and New York City where hybrids taxis represent 45% of the city's total fleet by September 2012. Unlike conventional gasoline cars, hybrids get better fuel economy, do well at slow speeds or idling, and have cleaner emissions.
Hybrid taxis by city
Arlington, Virginia, USA
The Arlington County Board authorized in September 2007 a new taxi company, EnviroCAB, to operate with an all-hybrid fleet of 50 vehicles. In addition, the Board authorized existing companies permission to add 35 hybrid taxis. The introduction of green taxis is part of a county campaign known as Fresh AIRE, or Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions. AIRE aims to cut production of greenhouse gases from county buildings and vehicles by 10% by 2012.
The hybrid taxis began operating in February 2008, allowing EnviroCAB to become the first all-hybrid taxicab fleet in the United States. EnviroCAB fleet consist of Toyota Priuses, Toyota Camry Hybrids, Toyota Highlander Hybrids, and Ford Escape Hybrids.
The company claims to be the first carbon-negative taxicab company in the world, as it will completely offset its own emissions by purchasing "clean-source" offset credits. Also, EnviroCAB expects to offset the emissions of 100 of the approximately 685 non-hybrid taxis operating in Arlington by March 2008.
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
The city of Boston launched the CleanAir Cabs program in April 2007. The program promotes replacing older fuel-inefficient cabs with hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles as the existing fleet ages out. The main benefit of the CleanAir Cabs program for cab drivers is the operating savings, as hybrid taxi cabs can get up to three times as many miles per gallon of fuel as the old Crown Victoria cabs. In addition, hybrid taxi drivers get two "front of the line" passes per shift at Logan Airport, allowing them to make two extra trips daily. Hybrid taxi owners who lease vehicles to drivers are allowed to charge drivers more per shift to lease a taxi, enabling medallion owners to earn more than annually. By early 2009 this voluntary program had translated into about 50 hybrid operating on Boston's streets.
In August 2008 Boston mandated that all its 1,825 taxi fleet must be converted to hybrids by 2015. As of March 2009 about 10% of the taxicab fleet were already hybrids as owner voluntarily began introducing HEVs since 2002, mainly Toyota Camry Hybrids plus those introduced by the incentives of the CleanAir Cabs.
However, in March 2009 a group of taxi drivers and medallion owners sued in federal court the City of Boston to block the requirement and requested the city to delay the changeover for two or three years. They also complained that the new rule is unreasonable because it forbids taxi owners from buying used hybrids. In July 2009 a federal judge granted the request for a temporary injunction and ordered the city to stop enforcing the rule requiring medallion owners to buy new hybrid cars by 2015. Among others, the taxi owners argued that the requirements infringe on federal authority to set fuel-economy and emissions standards, an argument successfully used by New York cab owners to block a similar requirement. In April 2012, the City of Boston awarded the Boston Cab Association with the 2012 Green Business Award for its fleet conversion to hybrid vehicles. Boston Cab has more than 400 hybrid taxis out of its 500 vehicle fleet, and has plans to convert the entire fleet.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
In April 2008, the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in partnership with Whole Foods Market, began its Clear Air Cab program to promote the introduction of hybrid taxis with the objective to reduce the environmental impact of the city's taxicabs by encouraging a switch to hybrid vehicles.