Number of hybrid taxis to jump 10x in New York City

The AP reported Friday that New York City will soon have ten times as many hybrid taxis - 281 - cruising the streets. The city recently held an auction for permits to operate the cleaner cars in the city and, while opening bids were set at the discounted price of $320,000, the final bids were much higher, with the highest going for $554,147. It's no surprise that permits were heavily bid on, as earlier reports have said customers tip better and are more excited to ride in a hybrid. Of course, there are the fuel savings to think of as well. The city approved nine different hybrid models for use as taxis, ranging from the Toyota Prius to the Lexus RX 400h.

[Source: TownHall via MixedPower]