A vast majority of cities both large and small are finding new, yet economical ways to cut costs and go green at the same time. For the larger and medium size cities though, the task is usually complicated by mass transit systems, which are notoriously expensive and hazardous to the environment. Ye through innovation we have seen various cities start to use dual fuel buses and greener train systems, but we haven’t really seen any advances in the most common form of travel through a city: the taxi. Ford hopes to change this though through their Transit Connect Electric Taxi. Let’s find out more about the electric taxi and whether or not it is feasible for use in most North American cities that require taxi services.
Electric Specs
Some observers may observe that the Transit Connect Electric Taxi is simply an electric version of the 2010 Transit Connect light duty commercial vehicle. Your observations are indeed correct, as Ford will be using the same basic design, but with a few tweaks of the electrical nature. If you have never seen one, it is reminiscent of a small, futuristic looking van.
Planned to be assembled in Turkey and then polished off in Detroit, the 2011 Transit Connect Electric Taxi will be powered by a Siemens AC (alternating current) induction motor. Complementing the induction motor will be an Azure Dynamics inverter, Borg-Warner transaxle and a 192 cell Johnson Controls-Saft lithium ion battery pack. All told the electric taxi will have a voltage range of 260v to 380v. With this set up, the Transit Connect Electric Taxi is expected to get around 100 miles per charge after a six to eight hour charge. Like most electric vehicles though, it isn’t very fast, as it has a top speed of 75 mph (plenty fast enough for city driving though).
All told, Ford predicts that the electrical components of the electric taxi will last ten years or 120,000 miles.
A Roomy and Environmental Friendly Taxi
One problem with a standard taxi, especially cars, is the fact that they aren’t the roomiest vehicles on the planet. If you are going to the airport with a variety of luggage, sometimes trunk space just isn’t enough. The Transit Connect Electric Taxi remedies that issue with 135 cubic feet of cargo space and six feet of floor cargo space. If you have something even bigger to transport across town, some versions of the electric taxi will come with split rear doors that are able to open up to 255 degrees.
The advantage of using electricity as a means of powering a vehicle is the fact that it cuts down on direct carbon dioxide and other emissions into the surrounding air. This is not to mention that electric vehicles do not require an oil change, which helps cut the use of oil and saves cities and companies money. Plus, an electric vehicle doesn’t require the maintenance that a standard auto does, i.e. one doesn’t have to change spark plugs, serpentine belts or fuel injectors.
Feasibility
As mentioned above, the Transit Connect Electric Taxi is planned to have a range of around 100 miles per charge once it is put into service. Of course, this is considerably less range than a standard gasoline powered taxi, regardless of make or model. However, the downfall to city driving for a standard gasoline taxi is the fact that overall fuel mileage is lessened more so than most vehicles. For example, a common taxi, the Ford Crown Victoria usually gets 8-9mpg less in the city than on the highway, which can add up in terms of cost for cities and private taxi companies.
This is where the Ford Transit Connect comes into play, as regardless of city or highway mileage, it will get 100 miles on a charge. This will give cities and private taxi companies alike the ability to better plan out their costs over the long term due to the fact that electricity costs are far more stable than gasoline over the long term. At the same time though, the only limiting factor for the electric taxi is its range. 100 miles per charge may not be feasible for large cities, especially those that cover large areas like New York or Toronto. But for medium and small sized cities that require taxis, the electric taxi may very well be the wave of the future.
Source:
Ford.com
