Even though NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg has ordered a city-wide switchover to hybrid cabs by 2012, there’s still a fair bit of local resistance to the idea. Some of it has to do with availability – hybrid vehicles are in demand and fleet owners are feeling a bit left behind – but the overriding concern is durability, specifically battery life.

They’ll be happy to know, then, that hybrid cabs in San Francisco “had passed 300,000 miles of use with no problems.” Not only that, but the cabs’ regenerative braking system extends brake life by three orders of magnitude. In California, “hybrid batteries are warranted for 10 years or 150,000 miles, which is presumed to be the life of the vehicle,” and San Francisco Taxicab Commission president Paul Gillespie says that of his 182 hybrid battery packs, only two have been replaced since hybrid cabs were introduced to San Francisco, and one was due to driver error. He also brought up the fuel savings that had won over skeptical drivers – the city estimated a $9,000/year drop in transportation costs since introducing hybrid cabs.

Not that traffic or road conditions are the same in San Fran as they are in New York, but cab drivers keep a pretty grueling schedule in most major cities, and so far the hybrids are performing exceptionally. Besides, we’ve never actually seen traffic move in New York, so it’s safe to say that they’re overreacting just a little bit.

We’ve said it before, but it’s still true that when people think of electric cars, they picture - with no offense intended to electric car hobbyists - hopeless tragedies like the dorkmobile to the right of this sentence. But the basic idea of a plug-in electric vehicle still has some promise; San Diego Gas & Electric conducted a yearlong study that, in the end, “confirmed the viability of electricity as a clean and low-cost transportation fuel.”

More specifically, the study showed impressive reductions in tailpipe emissions and in tailpipe emissions and overall fuel costs with a plug-in hybrid compared to a standard hybrid model. The study converted two 2007-model standard hybrid vehicles to run on lithium-ion batteries; the modified cars “achieved a 60% increase in gas mileage, a 37% decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) tailpipe emissions, and an 18% reduction in fuel costs.” By the time these things hit showrooms in 2010, the efficiencies are projected to be even higher than they are now.

And that’s compared to a hybrid. You can imagine how it must look next to a regular car. Actually, you don’t have to, because the study shows that fuel cost savings can jump as high as 57% when compared to a standard gasoline-fueled vehicle.

This is exciting news for consumers; not only has hybrid vehicle technology resurrected the left-for-dead idea of the electric car, but the aesthetic advances made since the electric car’s heyday could change its stock image from that Easter egg up top to something like the Tesla Roadster, or even something from our list of suggestions (pts. I and II).

So we’ve been wondering why exactly businesses and city transportation services have been so accommodating to hybrids. Not that we aren’t tickled pink about it - the more support hybrids get now, the easier it will be to develop them - but those arms of the System aren’t well known for embracing things. Hell, in our experience they’ve made it a point to drain as much fun from our lives as possible, hence our surprise at their outreach. We have some theories as to why they’re being so friendly, though, and we’ll share them in our usual list format.

1. Businesses/government agencies are run by human beings sometimes
Not everyone in the higher-ups of the System is a cackling supervillain who sits in a high-backed leather chair stroking his white Persian cat between executions of his enemies. Only most of them fit this description. The remaining 10-15% are ostensibly human and are impacted by oil wars and fuel shortages just like the rest of us. They’ve recognized oil dependence as a problem, and have decided to be part of the solution by actively supporting hybrids and alternative fuel sources.

2. Businesses like good PR
No one who owns a company likes getting slapped around by the media (unless they’re Donald Trump), and in general people want to be regarded as the good guy. Considering how many of America’s current problems can be traced back to oil, some businesses are trying to court public frustration by presenting themselves as politically and environmentally-conscious, with enough longterm vision to see a viable place in our society for hybrid cars. It seems shallow, but moves like this can mark the difference between “ew, BP? Don’t they build their pipelines with slave labor? I’ll fill up somewhere else,” and “oh hey, BP’s throwing $8 billion towards alternative energy research. Pull in, I’m under half a tank anyway.”

3. Businesses like money
When the political sector panders to interest groups, it often slings money towards related agencies and provides tax relief and other benefits for companies that play ball. So when someone like Barack Obama decides to give companies government money for researching biofuels and lowering emissions, and encourage investment in those companies, they’re more likely to cooperate. If the public (or their representatives) makes hybrids profitable enough, the private sector will respond. Especially because…

4. Al Gore has taken hostages
We’ve learned from the Internet that Al Gore can belch fire from the telescoping exhaust hatch in his esophagus. So it’s not hard to imagine that he’s used this terrifying ability, among others, to kidnap high-ranking government officials and a few global energy company CEOs and keep them in a windowless, soundproof isolation tank high up on Bridge Mountain. It won’t take much charring to get those guys to start acting right, and this would certainly be a more direct approach than dry, informational books, his Oscar-winning documentary, or even putting his head in a jar on Futurama.

In any case, it’s nice to see people banding together to push for alternative fuel sources, and it’s even nicer to see their efforts rewarded with support from up on high. Let’s keep up the good work.

While we’re on the subject of hybrids, it seems like a lot of cities have caught the fever. A lawmaker in Long Island, NY recently suggested that the city “set aside 2 percent of the spaces at some 800 county buildings for certain hybrid cars.” We can’t guarantee that commuters would take this well if it passes - parking anywhere within spitting distance of New York City is like playing an especially vicious last round of musical chairs - but it’s a noble effort all the same.

They’re not the only ones showing favor to hybrids, either. As we’ve mentioned before, some businesses are joining in - IKEA, Home Depot, and Office Depot are setting aside parking for hybrid vehicles in cities like Chicago and Houston. In fact, New York City officials have considered considered letting hybrids park free at city meters, something that hybrid owners in L.A. have been able to do for three years. The outreach towards these cars, and the fuel economy they represent, is nothing short of amazing.

One thing news articles about hybrid favoritism never get into is why so many bottom-line-driven entities have gone out of their way to reward hybrid ownership. We have our reasons, and we’ll list them in a future post - hint: they might involve Al Gore.

The Car Connection’s list of reasons to buy a hybrid (and to not buy a hybrid) is flagrant gimmick theft from us, but we’ll let it go because they’ve raised some interesting points. Some of them, like the tax break on newer hybrid models and the employer benefits, we already knew, but we had no idea that single-passenger hybrids were allowed in HOV lanes. And that $8/gallon gas figure certainly leaves an impression.

On the other hand, their list of reasons to pass on hybrids is a little shallow. We seriously doubt people buy hybrids thinking they’ll never need to be serviced, and anyone buying it to honor a fad is an even smaller minority - cars in general are too expensive for that. The tip about “less sensitive steering and brakes” is good to keep in mind, though.

And they are correct in suggesting that not all hybrids are created equal. Motortrend recently reported that the Ford Escape has surpassed its Toyota-made counterpart in crash test results. The addition of high-strength steel into the chassis is what pushed the Escape over the top. We’re questioning why you’d name a car “the Escape,” but if it makes Ford competitive with Toyota, more power to ‘em. Their reputation could use a little help, anyway.

Here’s an interesting bit of news from Towson University, home of one of metropolitan Baltimore’s biggest wireless networks and a large population of hot, standoffish coeds; the university is “offering a 50 percent discount on campus parking permits for…hybrid vehicles.” Considering that a TU year-round permit costs $240, that’s not bad. They’ve also pledged to increase car pooling efforts and deploy more buses to off-campus students. The response to these efforts has been positive, but even if it wasn’t, we probably wouldn’t know.

Still, these are all good steps, and hopefully they’ll push for their own light rail stop eventually. University of Baltimore and MICA both have a couple of stops near them, and the light rail is a less frustrating commute than trying not to blow out a tire on Baltimore’s horrible roads. They need to expand the light rail system to cover more of the city anyway, so it would benefit everyone in the long run. In the meantime, go Tigers!

Looks like another Colorado city is trying out hybrid versions of city vehicles; first it was Aspen’s police force, now it’s Denver’s sanitation department trying out a hybrid garbage truck.

“Instead of a hybrid electric vehicle, it’s a hybrid hydraulic,” Nancy Kuhn with Denver Public Works said, explaining the differences between this truck and a consumer hybrid car. “It utilizes hydraulics as a second fuel source, so you’re using bio-diesel and hydraulics to launch the vehicle and slow the vehicle down.” Specifically, the truck’s inner workings transfer hydraulic fluid between two tanks, instead of burning fuel and brake fluid in separate processes. The city predicts savings of $2000 a year, per truck, in fuel costs with these models.

New York City and Chicago are apparently in line for these trucks, and we could see them all over the place if they catch on. Frankly, it’s impressive that trucks that big could be fitted with hybrid technology, so hats off to Colorado for their continued hybridization. Especially since they’re putting a lot on the line with high-need, high-power vehicles like these trucks and cop cars. Maybe next they’ll move onto the really important stuff.

Good news on the horizon for hybrid car owners; “BFS Retail & Commercial Operations, LLC (BFRC), which owns and operates the largest number of company-owned automotive retail generalist stores in the world, has begun servicing hybrid vehicles at select Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, ExpertTire and Wheel Works locations.” Nearly 40 percent of BFS-owned service centers are hybrid-compliant right now, and BFS’ continued efforts will ease concerns that hybrid owners are in deep trouble when their cars break down. Considering that hybrid sales have risen in the Gulf Coast region, and more car buyers in general are considering hybrids, this development is rather timely. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that hybrids don’t have any specific tire needs.

We had a lot of fun thinking cool cars to hybridize on Wednesday, and evidently left quite an impression on our intern, who brought in a few ideas of his own. He’s currently on picking-dead-birds-out-of-the-gutters duty, so we’re going to post/take credit for his suggestions in his absence.

Knight Rider
Pro: A sleek, black number with built-in navigational system, super computer, and wireless internet access, all of which speak in William Daniels’ voice.
Con: The car’s artificial intelligence lends it an inquisitiveness that means you’ll get dragged into solving mysteries every week, which adds at least 30 minutes to overall travel time. William Daniels is kind of a smart ass, too.

The Mach 5
Pro: Incredibly fast and surprisingly efficient, especially on highways and other situations where speed is required. It’s also sporty, in a unisex kind of way.
Con: Not only is it from a cartoon, it’s Japanese. We’ve pissed off Detroit enough, don’t you think?

Oscar Meyer Weinermobile
Pro: Everyone in America loves, or at least recognizes, the ol’ Weinermobile. Plus, that kind of corporate sponsorship could really help hybrid fuel and battery research, to say nothing of the possibilities for bologna ethanol.
Con: Blind spots galore. And yeah, try getting laid in this thing. Go on, try.

Mystery Machine
Pro: Perfect for bands on tour, or even cross-country road trips with the family. Fits bunk beds and a camping stove in its spacious cabin, and the color scheme is totally retro.
Con: The chances of being waylaid by creepy old men dressed as ghosts increases exponentially with this vehicle. Getting all the dog hair and bongwater out of the shag carpeting will be a real bitch, too.

Werecar
Pro: Fuel economy that borders on the supernatural, good pickup, and roomier than it looks, the Werecar is great for families and comes in a classic gunmetal gray that hides stains and scratches.
Con: It’s pure evil and kills every time there’s a full moon. Expect higher insurance premiums.

We were sitting around at Corn Car HQ (also known as CCHQ) today, waiting for one of the interns to return with lunch, when the conversation turned to Neil Young and his brilliant idea to hybridize his 1957 Lincoln Continental. Pretty cool, yeah? We think so too, and we ended up tossing around ideas for what other classic, iconic cars could put a cooler face on the hybrid vehicle. Here’s what we came up with, taking care to include pros and cons.

1960 Ford Thunderbird
Pro: Just look at it, for God’s sakes. This car would turn Rick Moranis into a badass rebel who smoked unfiltered cigarettes and wore sunglasses indoors. When people look back on the halcyon days of big, American cars, this is what they have in mind.
Con: Hybrid cars have a pretty steep initial cost as it is, so god only knows what this thing would run you. Plus, guys like this would always be challenging you to races.

The General Lee
Pro: Sturdy, dependable, capable of outrunning county police vehicles and jumping over ditches or haystacks. As a promotional effort, each General could come with a CD of Waylon Jennings voice overs.
Con: Anyone who wants a hybrid at this stage of the game would balk at driving something with Confederate flags all over it. Also, the owner’s manual is probably written in Talladega.

The Bluesmobile
Pro: It’s got a cop motor, cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks, and it’s a model made before the catalytic converter.
Con: The giant speaker would impact the car’s tires and overall fuel economy. Plus, the cigarette lighter doesn’t work.

Dragula
Pro: It looks awesome, and it’s made from a coffin, so your family will save on funeral expenses if you wreck it and die.
Con: It’s made of wood, which carries its own set of issues (rot, termites, etc.). Plus, you kinda need to be 7 feet tall to drive it.

The Original Batmobile
Pro: It has the body shape and flourishes of a 1960s sports car with the whole Batman aesthetic topping it off. Many of its features are voice-activated, and it’s pretty much indestructible.
Con: It’s one of the most conspicuous vehicles ever made. And Batman always wonders how his enemies keep finding him.

As you can see, it was an exhaustive effort. No rest for the wicked here at CCHQ. If any readers have cars to add to this list, feel free to comment.