Hybrid taxis are more and more common these days, but one hybrid model is represented by just two taxis. It's the Lexus RX400H, and Samuel Pekoh and Cliff Hammon-Adler are the only hacks with them. Even though the cars cost $46,000-52,000 each, Pekoh tells the NY Sun that his gas costs have dropped $45 to $20 daily. (Still, insurance is more expensive on the hybrid.) The cars come with DVD navigation systems and sun roofs, and neither driver has installed a partition. Hammon-Adler says, "Anyone who's going to buy a Lexus, they'd be crazy to put a partition in." Instead, they have a security camera.
There's also a high level of luxury taxi cab husbandry involved: The Lexus cabs are washed many times a week and food and drinks aren't allowed. The drivers won't even think of leasing their cars to others to offset costs. Hammon-Adler has also sworn off Crown Vics: "They shake and rattle like crazy - I've got 34,000 miles on my Lexus and it's still as tight as the day I bought it."
We've ridden in an hybrid SUV taxi (not the Lexus, though) and it was really nice and quiet. What do you think of the hybrid taxis? And Adler was named the city's safest cabby last year.
Photograph of the non-luxury hybrid Prius taxi cab by dM.nyc on Flickr, whose page has an interesting discussion about hybrid taxis in the city
