New York, New York - Ford has unveiled its Transit Connect Taxi concept in the taxi capital of America at the New York International Auto Show. The concept is based on the Transit Connect, a Ford of Europe vehicle that will be sold in North America in the summer of 2009.
"Taxis are an important part of the urban landscape, and the Transit Connect Taxi concept represents a potential game-changer, given its small footprint, comfortable, spacious interior, fuel-efficient engine and affordability," said Mark Fields, president of The Americas. "We're interested to see how people react."
Ford has been a leader in the taxi business for decades; its Crown Victoria is the leader in the taxi market in cities throughout the U.S. The company was also the first manufacturer to introduce gasoline-electric hybrid taxis in North American fleets, with the launch of the Ford Escape Hybrid in San Francisco and New York City in 2005. Today, more than 800 Escape Hybrids are in New York fleets, including the original 18 that were placed in service in 2005.
Built on a dedicated commercial platform, the Transit Connect uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission that delivers a fuel economy estimate of 19 m.p.g. US (12.3 L/100 km), representing more than 30 per cent improvement in fuel economy and nearly 90 per cent lower tailpipe emissions than many of today's traditional taxis. Its vertical "stacked" design accommodates three rear-cab passengers and 75 cubic feet (2124 litres) of parcels.
The taxi concept also features a new electronic infotainment and navigation screen that shows passengers the accumulating cab fare, along with a scrolling news, weather, sports score and stock ticker, and a touch-screen that passengers can use to select video or music channels, follow the taxi's route on a map or scroll through a list of points of interest along the route. The screen is also a payment centre for credit or debit cards.
