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]