Looks like Chrysler, FoMoCo & General Motors have missed yet another opportunity. I suppose they are still circling their wagons and complaining about the detrimental economic benefits of having to increase their vehicles fuel economy.

35 mpg isn't that impressive. I own a '99 Altima and get just over 30 mpg. How is it that this hybrid only nets a 5 mpg gain over the past 10 years? (actually, I probably got 35mpg when the car was first purchased). There's no gain in torque or horsepower. I doubt there's been significant safety features added to weigh it down.

That being said, I do love the near zero emission bit of it and the fact that it's produced domestically.

Josh,

either compare EPA to EPA (make sure you compare the same version too - it has been revised), or same situation in the real world to same situation in the real world, but don't pull a number out of a hat like that.

The 4-cyl 2008 non-hybrid altima gets EPA 23/32. The hybrid is definitely an improvement in the city, where taxis operate, and the emissions are lower.

This is still incredibly unimpressive. A modern Toyota RAV4 running on diesel gets 7.2l/100km on the urban cycle. VERY nearly as economical - AND it's an SUV and NOT a hybrid... 35mpg is absolutely RUBBISH!

And why oh why does it need a 2.5l petrol engine for running around in town!!! There are seven seater smaller petrol engined vehicles in the EU that get much better urban mileage than this. A hybrid should give a significantly improved mileage to justify it's extra cost and extra consumption of raw materials. Sure, the lower emissions at low speeds are a big advantage, but it is not enough! This does NOT crack it!

Except that the diesel is a lot dirtier in emissions..

I've also always wondered if from one barrel of oil you can make as many gallons of diesel as gasoline. Diesel has a higher energy content, but if it is simply more "concentrated" oil, the actual benefits could be much smaller...

"And why oh why does it need a 2.5l petrol engine for running around in town!!! There are seven seater smaller petrol engined vehicles in the EU that get much better urban mileage than this."

Join the club of those who wish that there was a market in the US for European cars. It might be starting to change, but until recently, gas was so cheap in the US that almost nobody wanted these cars...

I think what we must remember is that this replaces V8 stretch Crown Vics that get about 10 mpg in the real world.

sure it would be great to see 60 mpg taxis in NYC, but could one of you tell me of an available car model that would fit taxi reqs? Something that is sold in North-America?

The Altima hybrid, Camry hybrid, Escape hybrid, and Prius are all we have right now.. Hopefully that'll change soon.

I know I certainly wouldn't want tens of thousands of diesel taxis in manhattan, at leat not until there are SULEV and AT-PZEV diesels...

Something else to keep in mind: extra weight for taxi package.

Taxi packages mean much beefier suspension, amongst other things. Just like police cruiser packages. So the taxi Altima hybrid will definitely weight a good amount more than the normal consumer version.

The entire Winnipeg Canada (pop.: 800 000) taxi fleet (at least 3 different companies) has been Toyota Prius since about 2004.

Yes, they work.

Please!!!! These are city taxis. No luggage required. They can use 4 doors Honda Fits; pay $15K and get the same mileage.

They already use ford escape hybrids as taxis, which are SUVs and still get ~30 mpg. This isn't the first, and almost certainly not last hybrid taxi that'll be out there.

Hybrids seem to be getting a faster adoption in busses than taxis. Pretty cool developments.

"Looks like Chrysler, FoMoCo & General Motors have missed yet another opportunity."

No one has made a "taxi" for the US since Checker. Nissan did not manufacture a Altima Hybrid Taxi. Someone just bought an Altima Hybrid and added the yellow paint job and requisite taxi equipment. The Crown Vics taxis are mostly "Special Service" package cars designed for police, and actually many taxis are used police cars. They are popular as taxis because they have a large back seat and trunk and the Special Service package and truck-like powertrain make them very durable.

That said, GM and Chrysler haven't been used for taxis anywhere that I know of for some time, so they're not missing anything, and Ford Escape Hybrids have been used for taxis for a while now, and the Ford Fusion hybrid (about the size of the Altima) is said to be due out this year, so it would appear that they aren't likely to lose anything either.

GM have a few mild hybrids that could be used as taxis and will be phasing in their full hybrid systems in mid-size sedans and small SUV's over the next few years.

Chrysler will be doing well to survive the next few years, so they have more to worry about than taxis. I think Daimler management intended to address efficiency of Chrysler products with Daimler's diesel engines, but now that they have sold-off Chrylser, they have left Cerberus without much to offer with either diesel or hybrid or even a compact car.

And if you think that Nissan are forward thinking compared to domestics, when Nissan announced that they were going to make the Altima hybrid, their CEO, who is not know for being bashful, said that hybrids "make a good story" but were too expensive to take seriously.

"These are city taxis. No luggage required."

City taxis also take people to and from airports and train stations - some with a lot of luggage.

Modern diesels with particulate filters are very acceptable for cities, (in as much as ANY polluting vehicle is acceptable.) I think that European vendors are simply scared to approach the US market again, but I am sure that US buyers are more than ready to buy a legion of Fiats and Renaults!

Ecobore:

They don't sell European diesels in the US because the US diesel emissions regulations are higher--they would'nt be allowed to.