The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLS) has given the green light for the Ford Transit Connect to be added to the 13,000-strong fleet of the Big Apple’s taxis.
NYC is not the only city in the USA where the Transit Connect has been approved for cab use. The approval in New York comes less than a month after the CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) version of the Ford minivan was approved by the California Air Resources Board for use in the State of California.
The first Transit Connect Taxi were delivered in Boston last December and since then more than 100 have been sold to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Orlando and St. Louis.
“For decades, Ford has been synonymous with New York City taxis, and we are pleased residents and tourists now will benefit from our next-generation vehicle,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “We have Transit Connect Taxis in service across the country, and people tell us they love its spaciousness and its fuel efficiency.”
The standard Transit Connect is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine linked to an automatic transmission, and returns a fuel economy of 23 mpg (10.2 lt/100 km). According to Ford, that is 30 percent less than many of today’s traditional taxis. Ford also offers engine conversions to CNG and LPG (liquefied propane gas) for even lower consumption.
Ron Sherman, president of the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade, added: “This provides our 35 fleets with the opportunity to transition from one purpose-built commercial taxicab, the Crown Victoria, to the Transit Connect as early as this fall. Ford has been a great partner with the New York City taxi industry for decades, and this vehicle represents its commitment to the future of the taxi industry throughout the country.”
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