Vet's Green Cab
Hire A Vet's Cab!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
JOIN THE CO-OP TEAM AT VET'S GREEN CAB CO-OP!
Environmentally Friendly Cape Cod Taxis
Our drivers enjoy working in an exciting and rewarding business with flexible schedules and unlimited daily pay. As an independent contractor, you are the owner of your own business!
At Vet's Green Cab, we're looking for women and men with an emphases on Veteran's Preference who are "safety first" oriented, professional, courteous and environmentally conscious. You must be at least 25 years old, have a clean 3-year MVR (Motor Vehicle Record) and meet these additional requirements:
- No DUI or DWI in the last five years
- No chargeable accidents in the last 36 months
- No more than two moving violations in the last 36 months
- No suspensions or interruptions in your driving record in the last 36 months
- Be a permanent resident of Cape Cod.
- Be motivated to succeed in y(our) own business as a taxi cab co-operative member!
- Likes the concept of working for yourself in a business owned by and for it's own co-op members.
LET'S GET STARTED
Read why we want a cooperative venture structure!
http://www.ncdf.coop/documents/worker_coop_toolbox.pdfSunday, July 24, 2011
Boston to offer electric car charge stations near City Hall
May 23, 2011|By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
The city of Boston today will unveil three electric-vehicle charging stations near City Hall Plaza, providing exclusive downtown parking — complete with a power boost — for those who drive the environmentally friendly cars.
By putting the stations in a high-profile location, the city hopes to encourage drivers to abandon gasoline-powered vehicles and adopt the emerging electric option.
For the regular $1.25-an-hour price of feeding the parking meter at three designated spots on Cambridge Street, drivers will be able to juice up their gas-free vehicles there for no additional cost.
The charging stations look like boxy, modern parking meters with one significant difference: an 11-foot-long power cord coiled neatly at the front.
By putting the stations in a high-profile location, the city hopes to encourage drivers to abandon gasoline-powered vehicles and adopt the emerging electric option.
For the regular $1.25-an-hour price of feeding the parking meter at three designated spots on Cambridge Street, drivers will be able to juice up their gas-free vehicles there for no additional cost.
The charging stations look like boxy, modern parking meters with one significant difference: an 11-foot-long power cord coiled neatly at the front.
With a $7,500 federal tax rebate for buyers and other encouragement from the White House, automakers have begun aggressively pushing all-electric cars. While the popularity of hybrid cars, which run on a combination of gas and electricity and don’t need to be charged, has grown steadily in recent years, use of fully electric cars remains low.
But more are on the way. The Nissan Leaf is expected to be available here this fall and 2,000 have been ordered in the Boston area, City Hall officials say. General Motors also plans to introduce the Chevy Volt to New England this fall and has ambitions to sell 15,000.
“This is here, it’s happening now,’’ said Andy Chu, a vice president of Watertown-based A123 Systems Inc., which makes a new kind of lithium ion battery for electric vehicles. “It’s not just [research and development], it’s not some high-tech curiosity.’’
People who regularly see vehicles recharging on Cambridge Street will begin to see electric cars as “a very natural thing,’’ said Chu, whose company expects to manufacture enough batteries to power the equivalent of 30,000 electric vehicles.
Boston officials have been encouraging developers to include a minimum of five charging stations with all new buildings. One charging station has been in use at the Seaport Boston Hotel for more than a year, city officials said. Another five were included in a new building on Clarendon Street in the Back Bay and more are on the way.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Likely to Use Subscriptions - WSJ.com
Charge It!
If electric cars take off, they will need a network of charging stations. But how will people pay?
By MIKE RAMSEY
With the expected proliferation of plug-in electric cars, the business of recharging them may come to look less like the filling-station model of paying at the pump and more like the way consumers pay for cellphone service.Journal Report
Read the complete Tomorrow's Transport report .Electronic Vehicle Charging Stations
Existing public charging stations are largely free, self-service kiosks funded by local and state governments and businesses to entice more people to drive electric vehicles. But if plug-in vehicles become common, governments and businesses won't want to foot the ever-growing power bill.
Several companies are developing networks of privately owned charging stations, along with software and agreements to make the charging of vehicles seamless for drivers at stations in different locations and with different owners.
Subscription's Benefits
These companies are trying a variety of payment models, including traditional pay-at-point-of-service. But experts say subscription plans offering flat monthly rates, like those of cellphone providers, are the model that is likely to prevail.For the developers, advantages of a subscription model include locking in customers, which can help the networks recoup their infrastructure costs faster. For drivers, subscriptions can make it easier to find and schedule charging appointments at stations away from home—an important feature since charging can take hours. For the networks and power generators, meanwhile, usage data gleaned from the subscriber base can make it easier to predict when and where the most electricity will be needed during peak periods.
One network that uses subscriptions, San Diego-based 350Green LLC, projects it will have 200,000 subscribers in 30 markets across the U.S. by 2015, a spokesman says. Currently, nearly 290 stations are planned or under construction in San Francisco and Chicago, where the company plans to offer unlimited charging for $50 to $70 a month. By the summer of 2012, San Francisco is to get six fast-charging stations, which are expensive to build but can give a Nissan Leaf nearly a full charge in 30 minutes. The 280 stations the company expects to have in Chicago by year-end will be a mix of fast and 240-volt chargers. The latter take about eight hours to fully charge a Leaf.
Shop While You Charge
These self-service stations will have as many as four charging ports, and some will include a 24-hour help line. They will be located in high-traffic areas such as malls—where customers can shop as their recharge—and tollway fueling centers.The governments and businesses that have installed charging stations up to now have done so mostly for marketing reasons or as employee perks, says Tim Mason, president of 350Green. His company, by helping expand the industry with a subscription-based network, he says, is providing public charging while relieving the owners of station sites—whether local governments or shopping malls—of financial burdens and obligations. "We own and operate the infrastructure," Mr. Mason says, "and we've found overall that host locations really appreciate that."
An eVgo charging station in the Houston area Plug-in drivers in the Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth areas can choose among three subscription plans from EV Services, a division of Princeton, N.J.-based NRG Energy Inc. The company has plans for more than 100 eVgo branded charging stations in and around the two Texas cities, where NRG is also a power provider. The company plans to have 60 stations installed by this summer and 120 by the end of next year.
The subscriptions offer different rates and advantages depending on how much and where drivers plan to charge their vehicles. Each three-year plan comes with free home installation of a 240-volt charging dock that can recharge the large batteries in electric vehicles in about half the time of a standard outlet. For $89 a month, the cost of all charging is included, whether at home or at an eVgo station. For $79, a driver receives unlimited charges at eVgo stations but pays for home charging on his or her electricity bill. For $49 a month, customers will pay for each charge separately but get access to the full network of stations. Charges won't be allowed without subscriptions.
NRG says it has plans to expand the eVgo network well beyond Texas. For now, its Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth subscribers will receive a key chain fob that allows them to use the eVgo stations in their specific city. In a few months, the company says, the same fob will work in Houston or Dallas.
Arun Banskota, president of EV Services, says the company also is trying to figure out how its subscribers could eventually use a network of 100 charging locations being installed by Austin Energy, a utility company in the Texas capital, which isn't part of the eVgo territory right now. Austin Energy is offering an introductory rate of $25 for six months of unlimited charging at its public charging stations. Users will get a swipe card that identifies them.
One of the oldest and broadest networks of charging stations, ChargePoint, from Coulomb Technologies Inc. in Campbell, Calif., lets consumers charge their cars at 750 locations around the country without subscriptions. ChargePoint stations are mostly built by Coulomb but are owned and operated by businesses or local governments.
Although there are no subscriptions, ChargePoint customers who register can plug into the entire network of stations using an online system that lets them schedule charging appointments and pay with a ChargePoint payment card. Registered members set up online accounts that are used to preload the payment cards with money and to locate and make appointments at the stations. Each station charges its own rates, and some have separate credit-card-swiping systems.
Richard Lowenthal, Coulomb's founder and chief technical officer, says there will always be a need for charging docks that take a credit card on the spot. But the way companies building much of the infrastructure will earn returns on their investment, he says, is through recurring billing, just like the cellphone industry.
Mr. Ramsey is a staff reporter in The Wall Street Journal's Detroit bureau. He can be reached at mike.ramsey@wsj.com.
The subscriptions offer different rates and advantages depending on how much and where drivers plan to charge their vehicles. Each three-year plan comes with free home installation of a 240-volt charging dock that can recharge the large batteries in electric vehicles in about half the time of a standard outlet. For $89 a month, the cost of all charging is included, whether at home or at an eVgo station. For $79, a driver receives unlimited charges at eVgo stations but pays for home charging on his or her electricity bill. For $49 a month, customers will pay for each charge separately but get access to the full network of stations. Charges won't be allowed without subscriptions.
NRG says it has plans to expand the eVgo network well beyond Texas. For now, its Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth subscribers will receive a key chain fob that allows them to use the eVgo stations in their specific city. In a few months, the company says, the same fob will work in Houston or Dallas.
Arun Banskota, president of EV Services, says the company also is trying to figure out how its subscribers could eventually use a network of 100 charging locations being installed by Austin Energy, a utility company in the Texas capital, which isn't part of the eVgo territory right now. Austin Energy is offering an introductory rate of $25 for six months of unlimited charging at its public charging stations. Users will get a swipe card that identifies them.
Making Connections
"We will have to figure out a way that our eVgo charging network will communicate with the chargers in Austin," Mr. Banskota says, noting that developing some kind of roaming system is a priority so that people can seamlessly go from one network to another.One of the oldest and broadest networks of charging stations, ChargePoint, from Coulomb Technologies Inc. in Campbell, Calif., lets consumers charge their cars at 750 locations around the country without subscriptions. ChargePoint stations are mostly built by Coulomb but are owned and operated by businesses or local governments.
Although there are no subscriptions, ChargePoint customers who register can plug into the entire network of stations using an online system that lets them schedule charging appointments and pay with a ChargePoint payment card. Registered members set up online accounts that are used to preload the payment cards with money and to locate and make appointments at the stations. Each station charges its own rates, and some have separate credit-card-swiping systems.
Richard Lowenthal, Coulomb's founder and chief technical officer, says there will always be a need for charging docks that take a credit card on the spot. But the way companies building much of the infrastructure will earn returns on their investment, he says, is through recurring billing, just like the cellphone industry.
Mr. Ramsey is a staff reporter in The Wall Street Journal's Detroit bureau. He can be reached at mike.ramsey@wsj.com.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Likely to Use Subscriptions - WSJ.com
Get A Charge Out of Us! Cape Cod Plug In EV Recharging Centers & Stations
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit
If the refueling property is acquired by a tax-exempt organization, governmental unit, or a foreign person or entity, and the use of that property is described in section 50(b)(3) or (4), the company that sold the fueling equipment can claim tax credit – but only if they provide the customer with written notification of the credit value
- Up to $7,500 Federal Tax Credit for purchase of new electric cars – based on battery size
- The U.S. stimulus package contains EV and infrastructure incentives
 | |||
|
Friday, July 22, 2011
FORD TRANSIT CONNECT TAXI ‘ON DUTY’; NEW PEOPLE MOVER RUNS ON GREEN FUELS WITH NEW ENGINE OPTION | Ford Motor Company Newsroom
FORD TRANSIT CONNECT TAXI ‘ON DUTY’; NEW PEOPLE MOVER RUNS ON GREEN FUELS WITH NEW ENGINE OPTION
http://media.ford.com/images/10031/2011_TCTaxi_Specs.pdf- Transit Connect Taxi goes into production and will be available for the 2011 model year
- Transit Connect is built on a dedicated commercial vehicle platform, tested to Ford’s toughest truck standards, offers a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine and is designed to meet the extreme demands of taxi service
- A new engine prep package allows conversion to efficient, clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG) or propane (LPG, or liquefied petroleum gas)
- Transit Connect’s roomy, easy-to-access interior provides passenger comfort and ample luggage storage space, even after modification to contain CNG/LPG fuel tanks
CHICAGO, Feb. 9, 2010 – The Ford Transit Connect Taxi will go into production and arrive in dealerships later this year as a 2011 model, adding to Ford Motor Company’s leadership in the North American taxi market.
Making the announcement today at the Chicago Auto Show, Ford also said it will introduce engine prep packages on all Transit Connect models – base and taxi – allowing conversion to efficient, clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG) or propane (LPG, or liquefied petroleum gas). Both CNG and LPG are popular among taxi operators because of their low cost of ownership.
The roomy, flexible interior of the Transit Connect – the 2010 North American Truck of the Year – is perfectly suited for taxi service and conversion to CNG and LPG. The vehicle’s 135 cubic feet of cargo space accommodates a compressed gas tank while leaving ample passenger legroom and cargo capacity.
“While meeting with taxi operators in cities throughout the U.S., we found considerable interest for vehicles that run on alternative fuels,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “The Transit Connect Taxi, combined with an engine modified by Ford to use CNG/LPG, is designed to meet that need. This marks a new era in ‘green’ transit.”
To further serve taxi operators, Ford will provide required calibration specifications for the CNG or LPG conversion. By properly following Ford’s specifications, the conversion can be completed without voiding the engine’s warranty.
The alternative fuel advantage
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, CNG is less expensive and burns cleaner than gasoline, resulting in 30 percent to 40 percent less greenhouse gas emissions. Propane also burns cleaner than gasoline.
“Compressed natural gas and propane offer more than sufficient power for vehicles because they are high-energy fuels,” said Rob Stevens, Transit Connect chief engineer. “Another natural benefit for these fuels is they provide an overall lower emission of greenhouse gases compared to gasoline. Additionally, operating on CNG or LPG provides the operators lower fuel/operating costs for their fleet.”
Furthermore, nearly 87 percent of natural gas used in the United States is domestically produced. There also are government tax credit incentives for fleets to convert to alternative fuels.
Since October 2009, CNG prep packages have been available on E-Series vans with 5.4-liter and 6.8-liter gas engines.
A conversion-ready interior
The Transit Connect Taxi offers an outstanding interior package for people and cargo. With its open architecture, the taxi provides excellent interior headroom and passenger visibility. The vehicle’s rear seat has been moved back three inches to maximize passenger comfort. Plus, with 6.5 inches of ground clearance, passengers step easily through the dual sliding doors. Additional climate control ventilation has been added for rear seat passengers.
The Transit Connect Taxi also features a wiring upfit package with a hole in the roof for signage, vinyl front and rear seats, rubber rear floor, sliding second-row windows and standard third-row windows – all of which are factory installed. Additional installation of technology and other taxi modifications such as roof signage and the optional seating partition are handled by taxi upfitters in local markets.
The vehicle’s cargo area easily accommodates compressed natural gas tanks directly behind the second-row seat, still allowing ample luggage storage.
Technology on the go
Ford is collaborating with Creative Mobile Technologies, LLC (CMT), to integrate premier payment processing and passenger information technologies in the Transit Connect Taxi.
Ford and CMT also are developing strategies for potential integration of Ford Work Solutions, a suite of productivity technologies for business owners providing a wireless in-dash computer with full high-speed Internet access and navigation. “Ford has demonstrated a significant commitment to support the taxi industry with not only a dedicated product but also with the commitment to work with the technology companies that support the industry,” said Jason Poliner, chief operating officer, CMT. “Ford understands that the taxi business is not just the vehicle but a complete technological solution.”
Evidence of how this technology could work in the future is included in the Transit Connect Taxi. It also features an 8.4-inch electronic infotainment and navigation screen that shows cab fare, news, weather, sports scores and stock ticker. With the touch screen, passengers also can select their choice of programming, follow the taxi’s journey on a map, or scroll through a list of points of interest along the route – including restaurants, museums and shops.
Once at the destination, the screen displays the fare with options to pay via cash, credit or debit. Cardholders can swipe their card, select a pre-calculated tip recommendation or utilize the touch screen to enter a tip amount, and complete the transaction right from their seat.
Building on taxi leadership
The “green” taxi isn’t new at Ford, which has been a leader in the taxi business for decades. Ford was the first manufacturer to introduce gas-electric hybrid-powered taxis into North American fleets with the launch of the Ford Escape Hybrid in San Francisco and New York City in early 2005.
Built on a dedicated commercial vehicle platform and tested to Ford tough truck standards, the Transit Connect Taxi – including gasoline-powered versions and those modified to operate on CNG/LPG – is designed to meet the extreme demands of taxi service.
With its standard 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission, the conventionally powered Transit Connect is expected to deliver an estimated 30 percent improvement in fuel economy over many of today’s traditional taxis.
“Transit Connect already has proven that it offers tremendous versatility for commercial fleet use,” said Gerry Koss, Ford fleet marketing manager. “The Transit Connect taxi, combined with the capability for CNG/LPG conversion, further demonstrates its flexibility.”
State awards electric vehicle charging stations to 25 cities and states across the Commonwealth
State awards electric vehicle charging stations to 25 cities and states across the Commonwealth
Friday in Lexington, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. announced that the state will be constructing 105 electric vehicle charging stations in 25 cities and towns from the Berkshires to Cape Cod. Three towns on the Cape and Islands--Barnstable, Falmouth and Nantucket--will receive the charging stations. Massachusetts cities and towns were invited the EEA's Department of Energy Resources to apply for the grants.
"Placing these state-of-the-art charging stations in cities and towns across Massachusetts supports the Administration’s clean energy agenda – augmenting our nation-leading efforts in the areas of green jobs, Green Communities, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray.
The charging stations will be located on downtown streets, parking garages, shopping malls, schools and colleges and commercial and industrial parks, according to a release from the EEA. Additional stations will also be installed at Logan Airport, in Logan Express lots and at MBTA commuter lots.
According to the EEA, the project is funded with approximately $280,000 made available through a settlement obtained by Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office in 2007 for alleged pollution control equipment violations by an Ohio-based power plant. That funding was subsequently augmented through a public-private partnership with Coulomb Technologies of California, which received a U.S. Department of Energy American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to provide installation of electric charging equipment and re-granted awards in the form of charging stations to Massachusetts cities and towns through the company’s ChargePoint America program.
"With transportation responsible for 26 percent of greenhouse gas emissions produced in Massachusetts, it is prudent for the Commonwealth to take a multi-faceted approach to improving the way we drive and the vehicles that we buy – including investments to expand the use of electric vehicles," said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia.
State awards electric vehicle charging stations to 25 cities and states across the Commonwealth
07/22/11 · 11:44 am :: posted by editor
Barnstable, Falmouth and Nantucket to receive clean energy grants
105 charging stations to be installed across the state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. announces the awarding of 105 electric vehicle charging stations to 25 communities across the Commonwealth. These stations will aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and provide Massachusetts residents with state-of-the-art clean energy alternatives. Photo courtesy of the EEA.
"Placing these state-of-the-art charging stations in cities and towns across Massachusetts supports the Administration’s clean energy agenda – augmenting our nation-leading efforts in the areas of green jobs, Green Communities, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray.
The charging stations will be located on downtown streets, parking garages, shopping malls, schools and colleges and commercial and industrial parks, according to a release from the EEA. Additional stations will also be installed at Logan Airport, in Logan Express lots and at MBTA commuter lots.
According to the EEA, the project is funded with approximately $280,000 made available through a settlement obtained by Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office in 2007 for alleged pollution control equipment violations by an Ohio-based power plant. That funding was subsequently augmented through a public-private partnership with Coulomb Technologies of California, which received a U.S. Department of Energy American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant to provide installation of electric charging equipment and re-granted awards in the form of charging stations to Massachusetts cities and towns through the company’s ChargePoint America program.
"With transportation responsible for 26 percent of greenhouse gas emissions produced in Massachusetts, it is prudent for the Commonwealth to take a multi-faceted approach to improving the way we drive and the vehicles that we buy – including investments to expand the use of electric vehicles," said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)