Autoblog

With the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission's October 1 compliance date for installation of GPS-equipped information and payment systems in New York's 13,000 taxis, a driver's advocacy group is gearing up to strike in protest. The source of the controversy is the screen above. The system provides riders with useful info like news and weather, as well as credit card payment functionality and the ability to watch the route the taxi is taking to its destination in real-time. We tried it out during the New York Auto show and found it to be pretty cool and easy-to-use. For tourists, it's a nice setup. The only negative observation our driver made when we asked him his opinion of it was that the system didn't take well to fast inputs when in payment mode. Slower, deliberate taps on the touchscreen worked better.

According to the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a non-union group representing drivers' interests, the GPS-based systems are a bad thing, and it claims that its 8,400 members will go on strike September 1 if the TLC doesn't put the kibosh on its fleetwide GPS plan. The organization claims that the systems overreach and are an invasion of drivers' privacy -- a sort of "Big Brother" that'll be used to track cabbies whereabouts at all times. The TLC notes that there are several benefits to drivers in addition to the added functionality it gives riders. Pick-ups and drop-offs are automatically recorded, eliminating the pencil-and-paper system used up until now. Also, drivers will be able to receive real-time traffic info and will gain a measure of protection against the criminals who sometimes prey upon taxi drivers. The GPS should help police track down cars in distress and nab the perpetrators in these situations. Lastly, the TLC says that drivers in cars equipped with the systems already make 18% more in tips. That tidbit has not been part the NYTWA's talking points. According to the TLC, most operators (73%) have already chosen a system ahead of the 10/1 date, anyway. Still, it looks like a showdown between the the TLC and Taxi Workers Alliance is imminent, as the TLC is very unlikely to back down. Whether or not the dustup will actually amount to anything significant remains to be seen.

[Sources: NY1, Newsday via Engadget]

Forget the stock market. If you're in the possession of a NYC taxi medallion, you're sitting on a goldmine. A retiring Pakistani driver who'd been driving a cab in New York for the last 25 years sold his medallion Wednesday for a staggering $600,000 -- an all-time record for such a sale. The medallion, which gives cab drivers the right to operate legally in the city, cost $30,000 when it was purchased in 1981. The new owner is a taxi fleet operator who already owns somewhere around 100 medallions.

Prices have been steadily rising in recent years, and at the last city-held auction, medallions fetched upwards of $500K. Experts feel that the city could bring values down to a more realistic level -- around $300,000 -- if they added 5000 new ones to the pool. Until that happens (if it happens at all), expect to see more astronomical sale values as medallions change hands. There's a limited number of the things out there, and right now, the demand appears to be off the charts.

At this rate, it's probably just a matter of time before we see a reality show about this. Flip This Medallion, anyone?

We covered one of last year's big-money medallion cars here.

[Source: NY Post, via GM Inside News]

New York's mayor, Mike Bloomberg, is ready to steal a page from his London counterpart's handbook and announce plans to hit drivers who bring their cars into Manhattan below 86th street with an $8 congestion charge in a bid to ease gridlock in the city's crowded midtown business district. The fee would include the existing bridge and tunnel tolls drivers currently have to pay. Some people are understandably upset, and opposition groups are said to be forming in the outer boroughs.

Naturally, there will be exceptions. Taxis are unlikely to pay the fee, and there's word that drivers who avoid the business district while heading to other parts of the city could be exempt as well. The report also mentions possible discounts for individuals who live and/or work in the impacted zone. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to detail the specifics of his proposal in a speech he's giving tomorrow, and we'll follow up after we've heard all the particulars.

If the mayor does set the plan into motion, it'll need to be improved by the state legislature, meaning those of us (ahem) in the NYC media market are going to have the opportunity to watch the political fireworks unfold during the local evening newscasts. This is gonna get interesting.

UPDATE 4/22: Ahead of today's speech, WNYC (New York Public Radio) reported that drivers who use the FDR drive and West Side Highway would be exempted from the fee. The mayor stated as much in his weekly radio program on WABC. More on the proposal as we get the info.

[Source: WCBS TV, New York]

Say that you're RIDES Magazine and you want to celebrate the 100th anniversary of taxi cab service in New York City - what to do? Simple - take a 1996 Crown Vic (arguably better looking than Ford's current take on the Panther platform), put a lift on it that shames many custom pickups, and shove a set of Pirelli-shod 30" MHT wheels under it. Not included is the milkcrate you'll need to stand on in order to enter the beast.

Now, we realize that this probably isn't a proper "donk" to most folks (and those that specifically associate the name with mid-70s Caprices are particularly likely to be offended by using the name to describe a Crown Vic), but this thing seems to defy any other name - well, at least any name that's suitable to print. No word yet on whether it'll be whisking us away from the Javits convention center tomorrow night, but such a scenario isn't out of the question - the nine-foot-tall ride is said to wear an official NYC taxi medallion.

[Source: RIDES, Jalopnik]

UPDATE: Photos added from Neal M. and dc, play-by-play account from Ahmed
UPDATE 2: Video of the Auto Union Type D on the street after the jump


This morning New Yorkers on their way to work were greeted with Audi's Park Avenue parade that marked the R8's first official drive on U.S. soil and the opening of the company's new Audi Forum located at 250 Park Avenue. Autoblog reader Ahmed M. was on hand and armed with a camera phone. He sent us these pics of the R8, R10 Le Mans racer and 1938 Auto Union Type D Silver Arrow, the latter of which was one of the world's first mid-engined racecars. NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg was reportedly on hand to deliver the R8 to the Forum, which is not a dealership but rather a brand awareness space that will educate New Yorkers on the Audi experience and can also host events up to 150 people.

If any other readers were present and have pictures they'd like to share, specifically of the Forum itself, send them to abresearch at gmail dot com and we'll post them here.

Check out Ahmed's play-by-play account of the parade after the jump near the bottom of the page.

We feel lucky having been one of a relatively small group of people to see the Audi R8 in person at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. We won't feel so special after next Wednesday, however, when Audi is planning a parade in the Big Apple that will be lead by the company's new two-seat, mid-engine road rocket. Millions of New Yorkers will be able to catch a glimpse of the R8 leading a pack of Audis that also includes the R10 TDI racecar currently dominating the American Le Mans Series and a 1938 Auto Union Type D Silver Arrow, which represents the line of world's first mid-engined racecars. Why all the hubbub? The celebration commemorates the opening of the newly created Audi Forum New York City, which is not exactly a dealership but what the marketing folk call a "brand awareness venue".

If you're in the area, the procession's going to begin at 10AM EST next Wednesday and start at 52th and Park Avenue. The cars will be flanked by New York City's finest as they drive down to 47th where they'll be parked outside the new Audi Forum NYC for people to inspect. Expect a few celebrities to be present, and supposedly some will be commissioned to drive the vehicles, as well. The occasion will technically mark the first time a production R8 has been seen outside in open air, although we've seen plenty of uncamouflaged mules the last few months. If you're planning to attend, takes pics and send them to abresearch at gmail dot com.

[Source: Fourtitude]

It seem like the most suitable laboratory for testing an advanced propulsion system is the engine bay of a New York City taxi cab, just ask Ford. Hybrid Technolgies has announced it is in negotiations with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commision to get its lithium-ion battery-powered PT Cruisers on the streets of NYC ASAP. PTCruizer.com reports the electric cabs will sport a 600-pound, 320V battery pack that can go through 1,500 charges with a range of 150 miles between each plug-in. Cabbies can expect a downtime of six hours between charges. While each EV PT will cost between $50K and $75K, estimated fuel cost savings could amount to $15,000/year. We'll have to wait and see how these EVs hold up to NYC's tough durability test.

[Source: Hybrid Technologies and PTCruizer.com]

If you're tired of walking and really don't want to risk a heart attack in one of the Big Apple's (in)famous taxi cabs--assuming you can hail one--Segway is offering an alternative.

Segways, those two-wheel motorized vehicles, will be available for demonstration at the show. The linked article cites the benefits of a Segway such as low maintenance and operating costs. Did you know it only costs 10 cents to fully charge the electric battery, which means the Segway provides 390 miles of operation for the cost of a single gallon of gas. Its tires have a 5,000 miles range. It also has an electronic key start so no one can steal your Segway from the bike rack.
 
Other advantages and contact information while in NYC can be found at the link.

[Source: PR Web via eMediaWire]

National road rallies are nothing new for North American enthusiasts. Brock Yates' Cannonball Run offshoot, the One Lap Of America has been plugging away in earnest for decades now. But for those without big budgets, trans-continental automotive hooliganism has remained somewhat less accessible.

Enter the BABE, or BigApple2BigEasy. Basically, it's a 'run whatcha brung' event from NYC to New Orleans on public roads. The catch? Competitors can only spend the princely sum of $250 on a vehicle. In other words, expect a parade of bangers, heaps, jalopies, junkers, and the stray basketcase.

The four-day event will be interspersed with 'challenges' which will likely take the form of scavenger hunts and the like. The event is not a race (Gumballers need not apply), but it is scored, and there are awards. The top team takes home $1,500, with the second place team netting $350, and the third-place finishers putting a $150 dent in their gas receipts/future chiropractor bills.

Trophies to be awarded will include 'Team to Hitchhike the Farthest' and 'Most Creative Repair Job.' Participating hoopties must be forklifted registered by April 30th, and the BABE requires a $250 entry fee.

Sounds like fun to us.

[Sources: BABE and IMCDB.org]