Funny… last thing I saw most taxi companies were switching to Civics and mini-vans. Somehow a taxi SUV doesn’t seem practical at all.

The article doesn’t mention that they can also be configured from the plant to run on compressed natural gas.

long live the crown vic!

In NYC medallions are getting some sort of discount from TLC for using hybrids and as we know there is a plan to “clean up” the fleet. This one just missed the biggest city in N.A. and London has great looking taxi cabs for as long as I remember. Maybe those things will be sold in Baghdad or Kabul?

So where are all the ex-cruisers going go? I’d rather see the Checker Marathon go back into production than that ugly POS.

wow,i thought this was something built by FAO Schwartz

wow that thing is uuuuuuuuuuuuuugly.

hahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahhahahahhahahahhaahahahahahhahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahhahahhahahhahaahhahahahhahahhahahhaahahaahhahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahhahahahhahahahhaahahahahahhahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahhahahhahahhahaahhahahahhahahhahahhaahahaahhahhahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahhahahahhahahahhaahahahahahhahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahhahahhahahhahaahhahahahhahahhahahhaahahaahhahhahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahhahahahhahahahhaahahahahahhahahhahahahhahahhahahahhahhahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahhahahhahahhahaahhahahahhahahhahahhaahahaahhah..so dumb

Why all cab companies aren’t using hybrids I’ll never know. Stop and go city driving all day, never getting above 50MPH… ideal conditions for something like Prius to thrive in.

Fletch sucks

WTF?! That’s the ugliest thing I’ve seen in a long ass time, but then again, I’ve only been in a cab once or twice. I won’t be seen riding in one of them anytime soon.

Why don’t they just build an updated version of the Checker cab? They could make it diesel or hybrid if necessary, and its looks would kill this Standard “mail-truck-with-a-glandular-condition” Taxi.

cab rides are ridiculously expensive and always driven by arrogant arabs and pakis.

Wow…most of you guys are ignorant beyond ignorance.

This new cab wasn’t built to be pretty, it was built to directly address the needs of cab companies across America. It’s not an SUV. It’s a tall sedan with loads of passenger and cargo space, is wheelchair accessible, and has interchangable body pieces so cab companies can repair body damaged ones without having to keep massive parts stocks.

Hybrids are a horrible idea! Their mechanical complexity and their relative size (save Camry) are NOT ideal for toting people like crazy. A Pruis wouldn’t be perfect because there’s no rear headroom, as well.

While this company should offer something other than the hoary GM 4.3L V6, though it is torquey, durable, reliable, and gets decent economy, this cab will be an excellent form-follows-function vehicle for the job.

Scion x/b, move over.

Looks just as ugly as a Slummer.

It’s like America’s answer to the London Taxi Cabs. Watch out, UK!

“Why all cab companies aren’t using hybrids I’ll never know. ” by Raineman

I just saw a Prius Cab in Santa Monica the other day. From my understanding I may be wrong but most cabbies are independent contractor; that means that they have to buy the vehicle from the Cab co.’s or buy them privately at least in L.A. so this may hinder them from buying a Prius or even Escape Hybrid. Also some of these cabs are reconditioned former Police cars. I think some cab co.’s might be now looking at lease or selling some hybrids to the cabbies.

Is it plastic?

Go to http://www.standardtaxi.com and check it out. Man, that’s some world class styling. I can’t wait to see a stretched limo version. Not really newsworthy as VPG is going to bomb so this will more than likely never see the light of day.

Must be a joint venture with LEGO!

TOZO, our cabs have been diesel for years and with the best turning circles around… We really don’t have much to watch out for… we run this.

Man, that thing is ugly. You think they’d make the vehicle with some sort of styling appeal, nothing major but atleast pleasant to look at. By far the ugliest vehicle I’ve seen, on the internet. But I can see why they would sell.

What I don’t get is why the large engine? Because it’s cheap to produce? I’d rather put one of the old, reliable but horrible iron dukes in there, just update the fuel system, cheaper with less maintanence, and twice the fuel economy. Most NY Taxi cabs don’t exceed 40 miles per hour at any point in time.

London Taxi Cabs have never specifically been reliable, and imo not too great to look at. Rather have that than this, but I’d guess their kind of small…

I actually like that thing. It’s different, and kind of cool in that regard. It looks like a 3rd world country styled bus, and I’d almost expect some chickens and goats to be in the back. But at the same time, it’s so strange for our roads that you know people are going to give it one of those “WTF?!” looks. I also like the flat yellow paint job, because it gives it a weird Mattel toy look. Funky and original. It will serve its purpose as a Taxi well, I’m sure. I sure wish our own would make funky risks just to see how they fare.

JohnnyBlazE: My London Taxi comment was more sarcasm than anything else really.
As for this AM General Taxi, I think Ford has a potential lawsuit with those Ford Flex-like side doors, and body shape.