Real New York cars are yellow
To a native Californian who grew up in the heart of the nation's car culture, New York has always seemed an odd place to hold a car show. This year one of the main events has shown New York's true color: yellow.
When my mother visited New York in the 1950s, she tells me, there was scarcely a private automobile to be seen. The city streets were bustling streams of yellow cabs. Now, to the casual observer, New York's 13,000 taxis make up only about half the cars on the street.
Paul Herzan, chairman of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, has decided New York's taxis need a functional makeover and has founded Taxi 07, a design exhibition to demonstrate the possible improvements to today's taxis. Among the highlights:
- A new purpose-built Standard taxi with a high roof, a tall, upright trunk, a large, open passenger space with room for a wheelchair or scooter in back, and an open luggage compartment up front next to the driver.
- A Kia Rondo small van with the rear seat moved back for more open seating and a rear-facing front passenger seat to allow passengers to converse.
- A 1000-hp Ford Crown Victoria cab that can go 200 mph.
- An all-electric Chrysler PT Cruiser taxi with lithium batteries and a range of 120 miles.
All this could be significant contributor to global-warming reduction if New York isn't planning on converting to yellow motorboats anytime soon. A relatively simple belt-alternator starter hybrid system, applied to all New York taxis could save 10 million gallons of gasoline a year, and reduce CO2 emissions by 70,000 tons.
In the end, the ancient Ford Crown Victorias won't be around forever. Drivers will need more and cheaper alternatives soon. And as a frequent visitor to New York city, I think passengers would appreciate something more comfortable and spacious that would leave them easy access to briefcases and other luggage.
