March 28, 2008
Ford concept cab causes stir
Ford's unveiling of a proposed European-made taxi cab for the streets of New York City does not spell the demise of the 12,000 St. Thomas-made Crown Victoria taxis now on the road in the Big Apple.
Well, not yet anyway.
Ford Motor Co., caused a stir at the recent New York auto show when it unveiled the Transit Connect vehicle as a possible New York cab of the future.
"That's definitely something we potentially want to pursue, but what we showed was a concept vehicle," said Becky Sanch, truck communications manager for Ford in Dearborn, Mich.
Ford is trying to sell its Transit Connect and in New York showcased it as a taxi because the city is "the taxi capital of the U.S.," said Sanch. At the Chicago auto show it was shown as a possible catering or construction vehicle.
New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has pledged to make the city's taxi fleet more fuel efficient by 2012, demanding cabs bought this year to replace any retiring cab get 25 miles per gallon in the city and the next wave of taxis purchases next year must get at least 30 m.p.g.
The Crown Victoria now gets about 14 m.p.g. and the city has issued a challenge to automakers to bid on its replacement, and besides being fuel efficient, the city wants cabs to be wheelchair accessible, have an iconic image not unlike the old Checker cabs, are easily maintained with a roomy interior and small exterior.
For Scott Smith, chairperson of CAW Local 1520 at the St. Thomas assembly plant, the Transit Connect concept underscores how the local assembler is poised to lose a potential big customer and he wonders why Ford of Canada isn't pushing to keep the Crown Victoria in New York by offering options with better consumption.
"Fleet vehicles are our bread and butter," Smith said. "The police and taxi sales are very important to us. Does this mean the company is shifting away from us? The Crown Victoria is an industry leader. Look at our quality and our awards."
He questioned whether Ford has tried new fuel saving technology on the Crown Victoria, including eco-boost or hybrid, to boost fuel consumption.
"Why not try it? The technology is there," he said.
Christine Hollander, spokesperson for Ford of Canada, said the automaker has a policy of not talking about future products. However, she also downplayed the idea of the Transit Connect as a cab, agreeing it's simply a concept vehicle.
"Right now we have a strong customer base (for the Town Car and Crown Victoria) and we will keep producing them," she said.
New York fleet vehicles have to be replaced every three years and individual operators every five years.
As for the Transit Connect, it's made in Turkey and will debut in North America in 2009.
The Crown Victoria is common to taxi fleets throughout the U.S.
Ford has also introduced the Escape Hybrid as a cab in San Francisco and New York, which now has more than 800 in its fleet.
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business/2008/03/28/5127506-sun.html
Filed under US Taxi News by admin
Leave a Comment