California Yellow Cab to Use Ford Transit Connect Taxis

Both CNG and LPG are popular among taxi operators because of their low cost of ownership. California Yellow Cab of Santa Ana will convert its Transit Connects to CNG, to take advantage of the availability of natural gas fueling stations in OrangeCounty.

Transit Connect is built on a dedicated commercial vehicle platform and is tested to Ford’s toughest truck standards. It offers a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine and is designed to meet the extreme demands of taxi service.

With the acquisition, Tim Conlon, president of California Yellow Cab, expects California Yellow Cab to become the first taxi company in the Southern California to operate half of its 220-vehicle fleet on natural gas.

"California Yellow Cab started to use natural gas in 2002 before there were many refueling stations," Conlon said. "Now that the infrastructure has built up, we’ll be able to help protect OrangeCounty‘s air quality even more with the Transit Connect. It’s a perfect fit for our drivers, and its roomy, easy-to-access interior will appeal to our customers as well."

The flexible interior of the Transit Connect is well suited for both taxi service and conversion to CNG and LPG. The vehicle’s 135 cubic feet of cargo space accommodates a compressed gas tank while leaving ample passenger legroom and cargo capacity.

To serve taxi operators, Ford will provide calibration guidance for the CNG or LPG conversion. By properly following Ford’s recommendations, the conversion can be completed without voiding the engine’s warranty.

Last month, The City of Boston was first to approve the Ford Transit Connect for taxi use, paving the way for taxi owners to purchase the new vehicle for their fleets.

Ford is currently the industry leader in the U.S. taxi business with the Crown Victoria sedan, which is being phased out next year, and the Ford Escape hybrid.

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