We got the chance to check out the concept behind the Standard Taxi at the New York Auto Show in 2007, and it now sounds like the unique people-mover will get a shot at production. Now known as Vehicle Production Group LLC, the company behind the Standard Taxi design has gotten the funding it needed for production. AM General, the company which became famous worldwide for creating the military-spec HMMV (better known as the Hummer), will do the duties of assembling the blocky cab at its Mishawaka, Indiana plant where the Hummer H2 is built for General Motors.

The Standard Taxi uses a rather traditional design with the engine placed up front, driving the rear wheels. Powertrain development work is being jointly carried out with GM. A compressed natural gas version is also in the works with assistance from Clean Energy Fuels Corp., founded by T. Boone Pickens, who also has some investment in VPG. The cab is capable of carrying four passengers and all their belongings and is wheelchair ready.

[Source: Vehicle Production Group]

"When you first see it, the Standard Taxi cab looks like it was made from Kraft Velveeta cheese. The shape is primarily rectangular but the edges are rounded. There are a few steep angles as if someone with a large knife made them. Then you step inside . . .

Inside this taxicab companies' dream vehicle, it is a different story. There are some bedrooms in New York City that are not as big. There is plenty of space for 4 passengers (3 across seats + 1 rear-facing fold down seat) plus room for a wheelchair facing front or rear. This is a main design requirement for the taxi and rightly so. Think about your older relatives. Think about Iraqi vets. Think about yourself someday. The taxi driver has his/her own area off to the side - like a kitchen - fitted with all the latest features. This kitchen has an adjustable seat, GPS, computer access and a payment pass-through to the passenger section.

In the "mechanical room", the Standard Taxi has a proven GM 3.6 V-6 and a conventional driveline with a solid rear axle. Low operating cost is the reason. That is the same reason given for nearly all the features in the Standard Taxi. The Standard will be available as a gasoline, CNG, or LPG vehicle but it is not currently available in a diesel version, hybrid or electric vehicle.

The combination of the flat floor and a wheelchair ramp plus the rear wheel drive, means that the floor height is high as is the whole vehicle (79.4 inches). The height may be a problem in windy weather and sharp turns may send surprised passengers into intimate positions with each other.

The Standard Taxi is not designed for New York City exclusively. It is designed to be the taxi for the national market. In that sense, it is reminiscent of the famous Checker Cab of the 1950s and 60s, also an optimized taxi vehicle. I believe that the low first cost and low repair cost goals set for it have been met but I suspect a hybrid minivan with similar interior space and wheelchair features may be able to give the Standard a run for its money.

[Source: Standard Taxi]