2008 New York Auto Show: Transit Connect Taxi
What better place to show off a taxi cab than in New York – where they are always being used. Designer J. Mays and Ford’s Mark Fields unvieled the Transit Connect Taxi concept. This was their main vehicle of the day and they were skeptical whether or not it would receive the response they were hoping for. Amazingly enough they received quite the introduction when they showed it off.
The Transit Connect Taxi was actually more exciting and was a big improvement on your average taxi cab. What better way to see New York than to ride around in a cab that allows you to take in all of the scenery through their panoramic roof. The roof allows you to look outside and view the tall buildings without having to strain your head outside the window.
The seating was comfortable and easy and the cargo space was enough for anyone to store what they needed. Those sitting in the back seat will love the interactive infotainment system to keep them occupied during those hours of sitting in traffic.
We have more details of the Transit Connect Taxi concept in the press release below:
FORD TRANSIT CONNECT TAXI CONCEPT OFFERS NEW PERSPECTIVE ON URBAN TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS
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.”
In addition to its new shape, the Transit Connect Taxi concept’s paint scheme and expressive graphic treatment lend it unique personality.
Designers didn’t abandon iconic yellow paint – but they did change the formula to a more modern hue that contrasts with deep gray, molded-in-color fender flares as well as front and rear fascias that serve dual duty as impact-resistant bumpers.
Most noticeable up top is a futuristic interpretation of the yellow “taxi bubble.” The space-age looking flat-panel unit, mounted horizontally above the Taxi concept’s roof, is lit on all four sides – green if the cab is available, orange if it’s occupied.
Easy Access to a Spacious, Tech-Laden Interior
The Transit Connect Taxi concept gives “curb service” new meaning. With 6.5-inches of ground clearance, passengers step easily through the sliding doors and into the cab, instead of sliding down into the back seat.
The concept’s standard high-roof van offers ample headroom, accentuated by a vista roof that brightens the three-person passenger compartment and provides views of the urban architecture.
The Taxi concept also features a new electronic infotainment and navigation system that shows passengers their accumulating cab fare, and a scrolling news, weather, sports score and stock ticker. Using the 13-inch diagonal touch screen, passengers also can select their choice of video and music channels, follow the taxi’s journey on a map or scroll through a list of points of interest along the route – including restaurants, museums and shops.
Once at the destination, the screen displays the fare with options to pay via cash, credit or debit. Cardholders can swipe their card, enter a pin number for debit, calculate the tip and complete the transaction right from their seat. Cash-paying passengers can use “Sputnik,” a rotating billet aluminum softball-sized orb that replaces the outdated sliding ashtray used on today’s taxis.
Ahead of the partition, the driver’s area comes with a fold-flat passenger seat that doubles as a work station. The Transit Connect Taxi concept is equipped with a special version of the Ford Work Solutions integrated computer.
The in-dash computer, powered by Microsoft Auto, provides full high-speed Internet access via the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network and works with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. Thanks to Garmin navigation, the system features real-time weather and traffic information, allowing drivers to find the most trouble-free routes.