Green Taxis Thriving

In 2005, Dearborn automaker FoMoCo delivered 33 units of Ford Escape Hybrid units in New York and California to be used by cab drivers. This action was taken as part of the company's testing of the Escape Hybrid, the first SUV to have a gas-electric hybrid powertrain.

During that time, there were doubts whether the Ford Escape Hybrid's nickel-metal hydride battery units will be able to stand up the challenges faced by an ordinary cab day in and day out. There have those who predicted that the battery packs of the hybrid SUVs will not be really efficient and it will soon burn itself out quite prematurely.

But the battery packs of the vehicles stood up to the challenge and today, the 33 hybrid SUVs used for cabs still have their original battery packs in place. That means the Ni-MH batteries are really that good. Apart from the Ni-MH batteries lasting three long years, the hybrid powertrain of the Ford Escape Hybrid helped cab drivers and operators save thousands of dollars in fuel consumption.

Damien Tedone, section supervisor of HEV Controls Applications at Ford, said: "We're pleased especially with the battery life - regular Escape Hybrid owners should be, too." The dependability of the Ni-MH batteries can even be compared to that of Acura belts.

Gil Portalatin, Ford manager for Hybrid Applications, said: "If you think about it, taxi drivers put more stop-and-go into one vehicle in a day than regular customers will ever do. And what vehicle has its doors opened and shut - or flung open and slammed shut - more than a taxi?" That's really a good point and hopefully, this would attract more people to Ford dealerships asking about the Ford Escape Hybrid.