Ford Transit Connect Taxi Concept

[+Green Blog]

There are currently around 12000 traditional “yellow cabs” in New York today. They are big and gas-guzzling. Now Ford wants to replace them all with their new Ford Transit Connect Taxi Concept.

The new Ford Transit Connect is smaller and more compact than the older yellow cabs. They are designed with less horizontal space and with more vertical space. But it will actually have more space for passengers and their cargo than the older cabs. It also features dual sliding doors which help cause less pain in an over-crowded city like New York.

The Ford Transit Connect uses a standard 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine which uses 30% less fuel and releases 90% less exhaust fumes than the older cabs. The new cab will get an estimated 19 mpg in the city.

The driver of the cab will get an in-dash computer, running Microsoft Auto software, which is linked to Internet and offers traffic, weather, and navigation information and help.

View the full article

[mountainhiker]

There are currently around 12000 traditional “yellow cabs†in New York today. They are big and gas-guzzling. Now Ford wants to replace them all with their new Ford Transit Connect Taxi Concept.

The new Ford Transit Connect is smaller and more compact than the older yellow cabs. They are designed with less horizontal space and with more vertical space. But it will actually have more space for passengers and their cargo than the older cabs. It also features dual sliding doors which help cause less pain in an over-crowded city like New York.

The Ford Transit Connect uses a standard 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine which uses 30% less fuel and releases 90% less exhaust fumes than the older cabs. The new cab will get an estimated 19 mpg in the city.

This concept has way too much common sense to be implemented! :thumbup:

We can only hope that the media in New York gets behind this before the political forces try to kill it.

[Mr Jolly]

But the traditional yellow cab is an icon, this will spoil New York.

[Simon]

But the traditional yellow cab is an icon, this will spoil New York.

I know something that will spoil New York even more: Rising Sea Levels. :whistle:

[mountainhiker]

But the traditional yellow cab is an icon, this will spoil New York.

At 30% less fuel, the ones that convert to the new cab will put the others out of business. This is clearly one time when "going green" saves enough money that only the clueless will not go along with it.. :sceptical:

[Mr Jolly]

Why not just put greener engines in the existing cabs?

[mountainhiker]

Why not just put greener engines in the existing cabs?

Cost too much money and time to retrofit old cabs. IE, can't make money that way!

[Simon]

Why not just put greener engines in the existing cabs?

Cost too much money and time to retrofit old cabs. IE, can't make money that way!

And we dont need huge cars with green engines. We need smaller cars with green engines. :ph34r:

[mountainhiker]

And we dont need huge cars with green engines. We need smaller cars with green engines.

And it looks like the Ford Transit Connect fits that description. I suspect that more than one city needs to be looking at this solution.... :thumbup:

[Mr Jolly]

Cost too much money and time to retrofit old cabs. IE, can't make money that way!

I'm not talking about retrofitting, I mean why not just make the same cars with cleaner engines?

How much bigger are these cars than a Ford Connect? Those Connect's aren't exactly small.

[mountainhiker]

I'm not talking about retrofitting, I mean why not just make the same cars with cleaner engines?

How much bigger are these cars than a Ford Connect? Those Connect's aren't exactly small.

From the details, it appears that they are taller but shorter which is what they mean by "smaller". I guess on a packed city street that means you could park more of these that normal cars.