• The last two Ford Crown Victoria cabs still in service in New York will be retired.
In the 2000s, when you saw a cab in New York, it was a Ford Crown Victoria. This model replaced the legendary Checker Marathon, which had been the face of New York cabs from the late 1970s until 1999.
In 2011, Ford ceased production of its sedan, at which point New York City switched to another model, the Nissan NV200. Today, there is a wide range of models in use as cabs, many of them hybrids for greater fuel efficiency.
You’re forgiven for not knowing this, given the sheer volume of cabs patrolling the streets of the Big Apple, but there are currently still two Crown Victorias in service. But as reported by CarBuzz, these holdouts will soon be retired.
The two cars began their respective careers in 2011 and 2013. Technically they should already have been pulled from service, since Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) rules forbid cabs from remaining in service for more than seven years. But when the pandemic struck, drivers of older cabs were granted extensions, allowing these vehicles to stay in service longer.
Now, the drivers of the last two Ford Crown Victorias have been summoned to a hearing concerning their old cabs. We'll see what comes of this meeting with the TLC, but potentially those cabbies could have their licenses suspended and face a fine of $500 USD.
The Crown Victoria put into service in 2013 belongs to Haroon Abdullah, who has put the equivalent of some 790,000 km on the odometer. He expressed the wish to replace his car with a new Sienna minivan, but said finding the money for a downpayment has been a challenge.
The other cab is owned by Ravinder Sharma, who has driven his car the equivalent of about 885,000 km. The 64-year-old cabbie hopes to be allowed to drive his Ford until his retirement.
The Crown Victoria is one of the strongest cars Ford has ever built. This model is virtually indestructible. Taxi and Limousine Commission spokesperson Jason Kersten said the Crown Victoria would be missed, but that it should be retired. Just like the Ford Model T, Checker Marathon and Chevrolet Caprice before it.
And the future, as you can guess, is electric. Already there are Mustang Mach-Es serving as taxis on the streets of New York, just as Hyundai Ioniq 5 taxis are becoming commonplace in certain Canadian cities.
By 2030, all Uber and Lyft vehicles operating in NYC will have to be fully electric, as per the TLC which regulates both those ride-sharing firms. It will be interesting to see if the same rule applies to the city's vast fleet of yellow cabs. We can imagine it will.