It seems to me that having stations for taxis where batteries could be exchanged would make this technology all the more feasable. Does anyone know of a system of exchanging batteries for e-vehicles?

not for cars. the amount of batteries required for a car to travel 150miles is too combersome to exchange quickly. there are scooters that utilize this concept. but i don't remember the manufacturer. personally i think the rappid rechargers are probably a better bet. there are emerging technologies for chargers and batteries that are making very short charge times possible.

The car at the top-left of this entry looks like a Ford SUV that I've never seen before. Sure ain't no Ford Escape. What is it?

i don't want to come off as some sort of anti-progressive jerk or anything, but this is a stupid idea, that probably wont get off the ground. first of all, 150 miles is way to small a distance to be worth the charge, and if a cabby has to stop and wait 5-6 hours to recharge, he will lose a couple hundred dollars. there are at least 4 or 5 other reasons why this is such a bad idea. few cabbies will want to adopt this system, and it will probably crash and burn.

Taxis routinely drive more than 150 miles in a shift. I cannot see this working for a large fleet unless the batteries can be recharged in less than 30 minutes.

Perhaps taxi stands could have chargers or they can have a few batteries in the car that can be switched as power drains out.

Out of curiosity, what's to say the massive 320V battery replacements make it any more cost effective than gasoline? While I admire the efforts to go greener, this doesn't seem like a win win situation and I'm sure catalytic converters do their part fairly well. I can't remember the last time we had major smog problems in NY.

The car at the top-left of this entry looks like a Ford SUV that I've never seen before. Sure ain't no Ford Escape. What is it?

It's the upcoming Ford Edge:
http://www.fordvehicles.com/futurevehicles/2007edge/

Can't remember where I heard this -- I think on an NPR show about the history of the car -- but NY taxis were some of the first electric cars anywhere going back to early 1900's. The batteries were enormous then of course. The driver would pull into the yard and a crane would pull out the battery and then replace it and off we go!

It would have to be exchangeable battery packs or else you would need at least 2x as many cars, PLUS the garage space to charge them. Effecient cab companies keep almost all their cars on the road 24/7.

Notice that both cars are station wagon type designs. The logical choice would be a flat pack of batteries that cover the back cargo area and a forklift type device to change them out though the rear hatch.

Maintainance costs for electric cars are very low, city cabs spend alot of time in traffic and the fact that you have some electric cars in your fleet can help you bully gas companies for better prices.

I always loved the name given to the electric car on The Simpsons.

'The Electaurus'

Lovely post!

This was on Green Car Congress too. It got shot down on there.
A NYC taxi does over 200miles a day on average. This has nothing like the range needed.

Perhaps hybrids converted to run on natural/bio gas would be a better idea?

people people people, what are we? stuck in the early 90's ??? Hello? Trickle Charges? Rapid chargers? LiPoly and LiIon batts? hello?? 200Mi is nothing, and all yall will be eating crowe while we cruise the streets of NYC in silent electric vehicles.. the only sound, no doubt will be YoYo Ma telling u not to forget your cello, or daryl strawberry saying dont smoke crack
(and just so you dont think i'm nuts: AirVironemnt's PosiCharge, and Rapid Chargers for that Little Old Lady in Pasadena, and Hawaii and DARPA's rapid charger work, and GreenCar Kong on rapid chargers, Subaru's 15 minute rapid charging car, UEB's groovalicious rapid charging LiIon battery & funified car, more posicharge, cause it's just so hot!, lastly, heres avestors, the killah LiPoly co. actualy i dont care waht u think of me, but just so you dont think that EVs are unrealistic)

..now where that E comes from? that will still have to be worked out.

earthchange too! - those links you posted showed nothing about a quick charging car that would be big enough to act as a taxi and have the required range.

what is the difference between a van like the chrysler that is mentioned in those links, orthe dodge caravan that is also mentioned, and a taxicab?
who about teh electri cSUVs in Hawaii/DARPA? are SUVs not big enough either?? I would also ask about the Ford Rangers mentioned... too small i know its a pickup but do you really think you can quickcharge a pickup an dnot a taxi??

...besides they are talking not only about range (in some cases 230 miles, which ought to be able to work with your above mentioned 200 Mi) but mostly the idea of a quick charge if you actually read the links, is that you can charge up in 15-20 minutes. is this not enough? now will you complain that the taxi driver has to wait 20 minutes during lunchtime to rapid charge??

taxis that reharge will never work in NYC. NYC taxis are generaly split up into 2 12 hour shifts or 3 8 hour shifts. also where are the taxis going to park when they are charging? space is at a premium in manhattan. there isn't really room for taxis to sit around and recharge.

All well and good, but the vehicles being discussed are not suitable for their intened purpose.

When someone makes a taxi with either a longer range or quicker recharge then I will applaud them.

Here"s your next cab