The City of San Francisco is the first city in the US to use hybrid-powered taxicabs, Mayor Gavin Newsom's office announced this week. Two city cab companies will put a total of 15 Ford Escape hybrid SUVs into service, the first of which hit the streets this past December. Sure, it would have been more newsworthy in Houston, Texas, but it is a sign that cab companies, which have plenty to gain from higher mileage, are willing to take a chance on hybrids' reliability — not that 15 cars will break the bank. Plus tax breaks could surely buy a lot of those beaded ass massagers cabdrivers love so much.
Ford Escape Hybrids Join San Francisco Taxi Fleet [Car Buyers' Notebook]
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