UPDATE: It seems Smith Electric is taking this vehicle and making an All-Electric BEV out of it to be released in England soon and co-branded as Ford for the US market and should end up as a consumer vehicle as well without the yellow paint.
FORD TRANSIT CONNECT TAXI CONCEPT OFFERS NEW PERSPECTIVE ON URBAN TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
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Ford Transit Connect
- Ford reveals fuel-efficient, nimble Transit Connect Taxi concept in the taxi capital of America – New York City.
- A cavernous, easy-to-access interior marries the maneuverability and fuel efficiency of a small car, showing how perfectly suited Transit Connect is for carrying people and cargo through congested city streets.
- Transit Connect provides another example of how Ford is leveraging its global product lineup. Transit Connect is designed, engineered and manufactured by Ford of Europe. It was named International Van of the Year when launched in 2003.
NEW YORK, March 19, 2008 – Ford, the leading provider of taxis in North America, is offering a fresh take on taxis at the New York International Auto Show.
“Taxis are an important part of the urban landscape, and the Transit Connect Taxi concept represents a potential game-changer, given its small footprint, comfortable, spacious interior, fuel-efficient engine and affordability,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas. “We’re interested to see how people react.”
Ford has been a leader in the taxi business for decades. The Ford Crown Victoria is the leader in the taxi market in cities throughout the U.S.
Ford also was the first manufacturer to introduce gas-electric hybrid-powered taxis into North American fleets with the launch of the Ford Escape Hybrid in San Francisco and New York City in early 2005. Today, New York’s Escape hybrid fleet has grown to more than 800, including the original 18 that joined the fleet in 2005, still running with the original nickel-metal hydride batteries intact.
The Transit Connect Taxi concept offers a new perspective on how to move people and their gear through congested city streets – more cleanly, efficiently and with new technology that could revolutionize the taxi industry.
Built on a dedicated, commercial vehicle platform and tested to Ford’s toughest truck standards, Transit Connect is specially made to meet the extreme demands of taxi service.
With its standard, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission, Transit Connect delivers estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg in the city – a more than 30 percent improvement in fuel economy and nearly 90 percent lower tailpipe emissions than many of today’s traditional taxis.
A Small Footprint with Big Potential
Transit Connect blends well into cityscapes. Its smart, vertical stacked design is able to accommodate three rear-cab passengers and 75 cu. ft. of parcels – in part because it emulates the city skyline that surrounds it.
“When cities ran out of horizontal space at the turn of the 20th century, architects started to build upward,” said Peter Horbury, executive director of Design, The Americas. “The Transit Connect Taxi concept brings that same idea to the streets, changing the shape of the space, making it taller with a smaller and narrow footprint.”
Read more here:
http://www.ford.com/
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/04/smith-electric.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/.eea658e
