|
Saturday, 11 October, 2008 1:30 AM
Automakers Warn Against
Using Hybrids as Taxicabs
Safety
Questions Left Unanswered, Responsibility Shifted Around
Photo
courtesy of www.greenskid.com
A
Toyota Prius hybrid taxicab.
NEW
YORK -- Two of the world's largest automakers, Toyota and Honda,
have issued outright warnings against using their hybrid passenger
vehicles as commercial taxicabs. In addition, Ford Motor Company,
General Motors and Nissan, have refused to certify the crashworthiness
of their hybrid New York City taxicabs as modified with mandatory
partitions. Instead, the automakers shift that responsibility to
the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), which shift
it to the federal government -- which does not require automakers
to crash test vehicles modified with the hard, bulletproof taxi
partitions.
In late 2007, the New
York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) mandated that all
new taxis, the vast majority of which are required to have partitions,
be hybrids or other vehicles that achieve 25 miles-per-gallon, disallowing
the purpose-built stretch Ford Crown Victoria taxicab. The Metropolitan
Taxicab Board of Trade has mounted a legal challenge, citing a 2008
engineer's report that finds hybrids to be unsafe and unfit as New
York City taxicabs. The mandate has been delayed and awaits a federal
court ruling expected later this month.
On August 29, 2008, Richard
D. Emery, an attorney for the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade,
wrote to automakers including Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Honda, General
Motors and Volkswagen requesting that they certify that their hybrids
or alternative fuel vehicles are manufacturer-approved to be used
as taxicabs and safe when modified with partitions and other TLC
requirements.
In a September 19th 2008
response to Mr. Emery, a spokesman for Honda said "Honda vehicles
are not sold or recommended for use as taxicabs." However,
in a July 16, 2008 industry notice informing taxi owners which vehicles
they can purchase for taxi use, the TLC lists the Honda Civic Hybrid
as one of nine approved vehicles for taxi use.
Another automaker, Toyota,
the largest manufacturer of hybrids in the world, has not responded
to Mr. Emery. However, a Toyota spokesman told the New York Times
on April 27, 2008, that "our engineers are nervous about it
because they were not designed for commercial use." According
to the article, "Toyota did not help convert cars into taxis
because they were not intended to be driven so heavily." Still,
in the July 16, 2008 TLC industry notice, the TLC lists 3 Toyotas,
the Prius, Highlander and Camry on its approved vehicle list --
1/3 of all approved vehicles. Several Toyotas remain in service
as New York City taxicabs.
Nissan, which claims
to be committing up to 200 Altima Hybrid taxicabs per month, refers
Mr. Emery to a July 23, 2008 TLC letter that claims the partitions
do not hinder side curtain airbag deployment. Nissan offers no crash
test results on Altimas that are modified with partitions and concludes
its response by stating: "If you have an underlying concern
with the mandate to use fuel efficient vehicles, this situation
is a result of New York policies, not Nissan's actions."
At a September 10th 2008
New York City Council hearing, Ford Motor Company acknowledged that
"there is an increased risk for belted occupants to contact
the partition in a collision" for "any vehicle with a
smaller occupant space than the stretch Crown Victoria" noting
that it is "not unique to the Escape Hybrid" which indeed
has much smaller occupant space than a stretch Crown Victoria. Ford
refused to certify the crashworthiness of Escape Hybrid taxicabs
outfitted with partitions, instead shifting responsibility to the
TLC which it says "has an important job in making judgments
that balance competing benefits and risks involving driver and customer
safety in a unique operating environment."
General Motors also refused
to certify the crashworthiness of its Chevy Malibu Hybrid taxicab
when modified with a partition or other TLC requirements. In a letter
to Mr. Emery dated September 25th, 2008, GM wrote "your client's
concerns about the taxicab partitions required by the TLC should
be addressed to the TLC." GM was silent about the Saturn Vue
Hybrid, which also appears on the TLC's approved vehicle list.
Volkswagen, which produces
a clean diesel Jetta that appears on the TLC approved list, was
also asked to certify the safety, suitability and crashworthiness
of its TLC-approved hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles when modified
with partitions and placed into service as taxicabs but, to date,
has not responded.
The TLC has confirmed
that it does not crash test hybrid taxicabs modified with partitions
and says it relies, in large part, on federal testing to assert
the safety of hybrid taxicabs. However, it has also been established
that there are no federal crash tests for hybrid taxicabs modified
with partitions -- nor are there front or rear crash tests in unmodified
hybrids for adult rear occupants, which comprise the majority of
taxi passengers. Hybrid automakers explicitly warn against any modifications
to hybrid vehicles in the owner manuals. And indeed, according to
automotive engineer C. Bruce Gambardella, partitions in hybrids
are a "crude modification" that "changes the entire
interior environment and takes us back about a half a century in
automotive safety."
MTBOT is the country's
largest taxi fleet association. It represents 27 yellow medallion
taxi fleets in New York City and over 3,500 medallion taxicabs --
approximately 25% of the taxi industry. MTBOT members have operated
more than 30 different vehicles over several decades including minivans,
Compressed Natural Gas vehicles and hybrids. MTBOT advocates on
behalf of its members, its 14,000 drivers and the riding public.
Source: Metropolitan
Taxicab Board of Trade
|
