Apparently the folks at Helsinki Polytechnic are thinking cabs need a redesign in the same way the folks from Michigan's Standard Taxi Company were thinking about it — that is by way of cramming as much technology as possible into a butt-ugly design. So what makes the Finnish thinking they've got the tech answer to getting you from here to there? Well, first by providing an easy entry as the vehicle's air suspension system allows the floor level to be lowered to a desired height during a stop, and since it's got an ultra-light body powered by Toyota's hybrid synergy drive paired with an Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine (57 kW) and two electric motors (50 kW) combined with an epicyclic gear-set — it'll be like 3.7 million times more fuel efficient than today's current New York City taxi fleet. Although both designs pale in ugly when compared to the EV PT Cruisers New York City'll be prototyping, it still makes us wonder if all of that techie goodness makes up for the fact that this concept cab from Finland's totally reminding us of the blue chick fish from the Disney movie "Finding Nemo." No word on when this'll be moving from concept to reality — however, they'll be demo'ing it in Helsinki this year, and NYC next year. [Hat tip to Zerin!]
Related:
Big Yellow EV: NYC Begins Testing Lithium-Ion Taxi; Form Follows Function: A New Standard Taxi? [internal]