New York City taxicabs go C-MAX

[GreenChicago]

I just returned from my first road trip in my new SEL, and got solid mileage (~44.5 mpg overall this trip). But lookie what I saw on the streets of New York City! Lots of them! Btw, I'm told by a local dealer that the reason the inventory is so low and build times so long because the New York City taxi fleet upgraded their Fusion batteries to the ones used by C-Maxes.

[salsaguy]

very very cool GreebChicago. hope the cab riders like them so much they will want to buy one for themselves.

Edited June 21, 2013 by salsaguy

[mtb9153]

I wonder if the cab drivers are driving as deliberately as needed to get maximum AvgMPG?  If I was a fare in the back seat I'd be telling the driver to step on it, which would throw the MPG out the window?  Curious.

[salsaguy]

I'm sure they are hoping all the time sitting standing still in bumper to bumper traffic in EV mode will offset the stomp on it times.

[SnitGTS]

I used to travel to NYC often, I live about 15 minutes from the city in NJ, and I guarantee that not a single taxi driver is driving for fuel efficiency!  I'm pretty sure there are no more aggressive drivers anywhere in the world than the taxi drivers in NYC. 

 

I haven't been in NYC since I got my C-Max, and she will never see the city!  If I ever have to go in now I will take public transportation.  I never cared before when I had my Corolla, but I sure as heck care now!

[StoBro2]

Seeing the cab in that picture makes me think Ford should add the Tangerine Scream color from the Focus ST to the list of available colors for the C-Max.

 

Slightly more off topic: I just drove past the local body shop that does work for the local Ford dealer. Parked in front they had a Fusion with a tri-color grey/white/orange livery. I'm sure it was done using the vinyl wrap technique. I have no idea if it was for a customer or just to promote the body shop, but it actually looked kinda cool.

[mtb9153]

Seeing the cab in that picture makes me think Ford should add the Tangerine Scream color from the Focus ST to the list of available colors for the C-Max.

 

Slightly more off topic: I just drove past the local body shop that does work for the local Ford dealer. Parked in front they had a Fusion with a tri-color grey/white/orange livery. I'm sure it was done using the vinyl wrap technique. I have no idea if it was for a customer or just to promote the body shop, but it actually looked kinda cool.

StoBro2 I like that Tangerine Scream color, the day my CMax was delivered and I first laid eyes on her, the car transport driver lined all the cars in a single file line out in a side lot.  Sitting in front of my Max was an ST in this color.  It really caught my eye, very sporty and cool looking car.  If I had not been so hung up on getting a hybrid, I might have gone for that car.

 

 

 

[salsaguy]

mpgomatic lives near New Jersey or new York and had one of his cmax videos on YouTube showing how he drove into the city in a rental/loaner Energi to show how good/bad it was doing in pure EV mode.

the cam is pointed at him the whole time though so you don't learn as much even though he talks you through what is going on, it would have been better to show the dash close up to show the instant mpg and engage or empower screen.

here it is:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=6wub721TrxA&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6wub721TrxA

Edited June 23, 2013 by salsaguy

[Tdefny]

I stopped counting NYC taxies as C-Max sitings, they have gotten so common. I asked one cabbie how he liked it but he offered no opinion. I am not even sure he knew what is different, but he sure didn't seem to care.

 

Like SnitGTS, I also have not been driving mine into the city. We use the 200K+ Prius for that. Not that I don't think the Max would do well there. It is perfect for that sort of driving, but I am afraid to give the expensive IA key (for which I have the original two and no spares) to the guy in the garage. It is sort of silly, considering that most of the cars there cost 2 or 3 times what mine did, but so far I have been able to just use the older car, whose spare keys cost under $20 and I have a few.

[Tdefny]

mpgomatic lives near New Jersey or new York and had one of his cmax videos on YouTube showing how he drove into the city in a rental/loaner Energi to show how good/bad it was doing in pure EV mode.

the cam is pointed at him the whole time though so you don't learn as much even though he talks you through what is going on, it would have been better to show the dash close up to show the instant mpg and engage or empower screen.

here it is:

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=6wub721TrxA&desktop_uri=/watch?v=6wub721TrxA

I liked this vid. I was annoyed at first that be burned his EV miles early, but he redeemed himself in the end by running out just as he reached his destination. It was especially interesting that Sync puked, I mean went into scheduled maintenance, fairly early in the video.

 

The Energi does its best stuff with a full battery in heavy traffic.

Edited June 23, 2013 by Tdefny