New York City tourists will now be able to get a taste of the “green life” while enjoying the city’s attractions and culture. NYC Green Car, a car service company with a hybrid-only fleet, recently launched its service of Toyota Camry and Lexus cars in Manhattan, with services spanning the tri-state area. The company [...]

New York City tourists will now be able to get a taste of the “green life” while enjoying the city’s attractions and culture. NYC Green Car, a car service company with a hybrid-only fleet, recently launched its service of Toyota Camry and Lexus cars in Manhattan, with services spanning the tri-state area. The company uses only 2007 or 2008 hybrid models equipped with global positioning systems for navigation.

The vehicles are also equipped with communication technology that allows drivers to communicate with dispatch electronically, rather than via telephone. The cars, when idle, remain parked throughout Manhattan to speed up response times as well as decrease emissions.

“NYC Green Car is the premier car service for environmentally conscious corporations and discerning individuals who want to cut back on their carbon footprint but still want high-touch, top-of-the-line customer service,” said Darren Manelski, NYC Green Car’s founder and president. “We are committed to providing unparalleled comfort and convenience within an eco-friendly framework.”

In early 2007, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg implemented a strategy for reducing emissions 30 percent by 2030, while converting the city’s taxi fleet to 100 percent hybrid by 2012. Currently, approximately 90% of New York’s 13,000 yellow cabs are Ford Crown Victoria. Environmentalists have long complained about the poor gas mileage of the Crown Victoria, which gets 10 to 15 miles to the gallon in city traffic. But taxi owners and drivers say they like the vehicle’s spaciousness, dependability and safety. The Mayor’s proposal will help to reduce greenhouse gas emission equal to removing 32,000 private cars from the road.

In the last two years the city has added about 375 hybrid vehicles to the yellow cab fleet, including models like the Toyota Prius sedan; Toyota Highlander Hybrid, a sport utility vehicle; and Ford Escape, another S.U.V. Under the mayor’s plan, that number would triple by October 2008 and would grow by about 20 percent each year after that.

Mr. Bloomberg said the new regulations would have little impact on the city’s cab owners, who by law are required to replace their vehicles every three to five years, depending on their use, while the slightly higher cost of buying hybrid vehicles would be offset by the average $10,000 a year owners would save in fuel costs. The city’s yellow cabs are privately owned but regulated by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, the head of which is appointed by the mayor.

The TLC has mandated that by the end of January 2008 all taxis should be equipped with a Passenger Information Monitor (PIM) that is a screen in the backseat that can provide entertainment, a live GPS map of location, and be used to pay for rides by swiping a credit card. The drivers will have an electronic Driver Information Monitor (DIM) in which messages can be sent to them informing them of traffic conditions and facilitating retrieving lost objects.

Several taxicab drivers objecting to the cost of the devices (estimated at between $3,000 and $5,000 each) staged voluntary strikes on September 5 and 6 and October 22 in 2007. The city implemented a “zone pricing” structure during the days and the strikes had minimal impact on the city according to officials.