Lexus will help New York City taxi cabs go 100% hybrid within 5 years, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced, "There's an awful lot of taxicabs on the streets of New York City," Bloomberg said. "These cars just sit there in traffic sometimes, belching fumes. This does a lot less. It's a lot better for all of us."

Nearly four hundred fuel efficient hybrids, includuing Lexus, have been tested for New York's taxi fleet over the past eighteen months. The models include the Lexus RX 400h. Under Bloomberg's plan, that number will go up to one thousand by 10/2008. By 2012, all thirteen thousand NYC cabws will be a hybrid.

Hybrid vehicles operate utilizing a motor powered by fossil fuel and electricity. They emit less exhaust and achieve much higher gas mileage per gallon. The standard yellow cab vehicle, the Ford Crown Victoria, gets fourteen miles per gallon. In contrast, a Lexus hybrid might get 40+ mpg.

Bloomberg made the announcement on NBC's 'Today' show. Hybrid vehicles, such as Lexus, are typically more expensive, but the city said the increase in fuel efficiency will save NYC taxi operators more than ten thousand dollars per year.