A pilot project on hybrid taxis in Alberta has concluded the vehicles — including larger SUVs — pay for themselves in fuel savings within 14 to 18 months. The Hail a Hybrid program, which was run by Climate Change Central and paid for by the Alberta government, tracked five hybrid taxis in Calgary and Edmonton to determine the cost of operating the vehicles compared to a typical cab. ‘It’s good, it’s really good,’ said cab driver John Tait, who participated in the program with his Ford Escape Hybrid. ‘It’s not in my pocket every day. It saves you money on gas. ‘It’s better than getting a raise some days.’ Tait, who has been driving cabs for 32 years, said driving the hybrid SUV has cut his gas bill by more than half — to $25 on a busy day from about $60 a day when he drove a regular taxi. According to the final report, all of the hybrid taxis that participated in the pilot project had higher fuel efficiency than the conventional Alberta taxi, the Ford Crown Victoria. Overall fuel costs for hybrids — based on driving the same distance — were much […]