Hybrid Taxi Fleet in Phoenix

Clean Air Cab is going to be the second taxi fleet in the country to go all hybrid.

The company will offer a slightly lower rate than other area cab companies and claims to be carbon negative by by planting ten trees per month for each cab we have on the road in addition to our carbon offsets.

According to Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, “Phoenix is committed to becoming the first carbon neutral city in the nation. We have been leaders on sustainability issues for decades and value responsible investments like this one to help us be the best stewards we can be.”

“We believe that going green isn’t something you do - it is something you are,” said Steve Lopez, Founder of Clean Air Cab. “Our intention is to take the trendy out of ‘going green’ and deliver a product that allows consumers to be green just by participating.”

Clean Air Cab has 26 cabs on the road and plans on buying 200+ cabs in the future. They currently use the Toyota Prius.

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Senator Kerry Introduces Green Taxis Act of 2009

Boston, New York and Seattle have all tried and failed to force their taxi fleets to go hybrid over the past couple of years. Each time, the local taxi fleet owners have challenged and beaten the local lawmakers ability to set rules about their fuel efficiency.

Fleet owners don't want to change over because hybrid taxis are more expensive to purchase.  Drivers like hybrid taxis because they have to pay for the gas, which allows them to make more even when the fleet owners are allowed to charge more for driving them.

Judges would tell the city officials their new rules would go against the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, which allows the federal government to set fuel economy standards.

While states could petition for exemptions (see California et. al. working hard to do just that), local governments could not.

Senator Kerry (D-MA) has introduced a bill (on behalf of Boston) to ammend that law. The ammendment would allow local governments to set fuel efficiency standards for taxicabs.

The bill is being dubbed the Green Taxis Act of 2009. It is part of the overall climate change bill. It will allow local government would be allowed to set taxi fleet fuel efficiency based on their own needs and policies.

"This legislation will help empower cities and towns across the nation, including Boston, to improve air quality, lower carbon emissions, and save cab drivers and passengers money," Kerry said in a prepared statement. "We know we must reinvent the way America uses energy and once again Boston is leading the way."

Mayor Thomas M. Menino added "Hybrid taxis make sense for taxi drivers, for consumers, and for the health of all Bostonians."

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Boston Blocked From Turning Taxis Into Hybrids

Once again, an effort to turn taxi fleets into hybrid fleets has been officially blocked by a judge.  The judge had granted a temporary injunction of the switchover, but has now officially ruled in favor of the cab owners.

The US District Court ruled in favor of the taxi owners. The Judge William G. Young ruled that Mayor Menino was infringing on the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, which established fuel economy standards for vehicles and forbids local officials from setting up their own standards.

Young noted that his 10-year-old grandson had heard arguments recently in the case and wondered, ``Why can't Boston do what it wants with its taxis? It's for the environment.''

``The answer, Cam, is that the Congress of the United States, pursuing national goals it considers important, has forbidden Boston from taking this initiative on behalf of its citizens.''

Which is quite ridiculous on the face of things, but that seems to be the way the judges are going to decide this issue. The same argument was used in New York, and it made sense to the judge there, too.

Do these judges really feel this is what Congress intended? I doubt it. But that doesn't matter based on the rulings they've made.

Source: Judge rejects hybrid car mandate for Boston cabbies - Local News Updates - The Boston Globe

What it's really all about is money. Hybrids cost more to buy and outfit than Crown Vics. I've seen estimates of $4-$10,000 to buy and outfit a Crown Victoria Cab, while it can cost 2-4X as much to outfit a hybrid cab. 

So, cab owners do not want to switch over to hybrid cabs. Drivers, on the other hand, love hybrids because it saves them money when they drive around.

Boston wanted to switch over to hybrid taxis over a seven year period.  Boston may appeal to a higher court, or they may be forced to abandon the plan. The lawyer for the taxi owners says he "hopes that the Menino administration will instead sit down with cab drivers and discuss a less onerous way to improve fuel economy for taxis."

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Boston Cab Owners Block Hybrid Taxis in Court

The plan to roll out hybrid taxis in Boston has hit a legal impasse once again.  Just as the latest case in New York on their efforts to bring hybrid taxis to the streets, a judge has sided with cab owners to block an enforced switch to a more fuel efficient fleet.

US District Judge William G. Young granted a temporary injunction against the rules set by the city of Boston to force fleet cab owners to switch over a 7 year period to hybrid taxicabs.

Boston has been insisting the long time period will help ease the transition, but cab owners want more choices. They insist they are all for improving the environment, but don't want to be forced to buy hybrids. They want more options.

The flexibility would help save them money since hybrid cars are a little more expensive than other options.

The current models being phased out are Crown Victoria's which cab owners say cost them as little as $4,000, but that can range up to $10,000. A new hybrid taxicab can cost them as 2-4X times as much to purchase and outfit.

The Boston cab owners were protesting using the same argument they made in NY saying the city requirements are unreasonable and infringe on federal authority to set fuel-economy and emissions standards.

Source: Judge blocks Hub’s rule on hybrid cab fleet - The Boston Globe

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New York City Loses Again in Bid to Force Hybrid Taxis

New York City lost again (AP Story) in their battle to revamp the cities taxis into more fuel efficient fleets. U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty sided with the cab companies (once again), stating the city could not interfere with the federal jurisdiction to mandate laws relating to mileage or emissions.

New York City officials, after failing in their bid to mandate hybrid taxis, wanted to put in incentives (pdf) instead. In this case, the new rules would allow hybrid cab owners to charge more for their rentals, while more gas-hungry vehicles would see their rates slowly decrease.

"We do not believe that Congress intended to prohibit local governments from implementing incentive programs ... that encourage the purchase of environmentally friendly taxis. We are exploring our legal options," Michael A. Cardozo, head of the city's law department said in a statement.

The Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, said it applauded the ruling for preventing the city "from imposing drastic financial penalties that would severely punish taxi fleets that operate nonhybrid vehicles."

"We have always preferred to work with the city of New York to adopt a viable plan for a safe, reliable, comfortable, economical and fuel-efficient taxi fleet. We renew that commitment today," it added. (Source: AP Story)

Considering the MTBOT has been the lead plaintiff in disallowing the plans set forth by the city to impose hybrid and more fuel efficient vehicles on the streets of NYC (plus this statement), that last statement seems a little off to me.

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