Hybrid Limos in New York

Mayor Bloomberg, as part of an overall effort to curb emissions in New York City, has proposed new fuel efficiency rules for limos in New York. The end result? Limos will need to go hybrid within the next five years to qualify. They will also need to be replaced every six years.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's is attempting to decrease the city's carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030.

Black town cars in New York currently get 12 to 15 mpg. Bloomberg is mandating they raise that to 25 mpg by 2009 and 30 mpg by 2010. There's an obvious savings in fuel by doubling the fuel efficiency, but there are critics. Buying hybrid limos will be more expensive than buying a more traditional gas powered vehicle.

To help with the cost, the Mayor has recruited Deutsche Bank and Lehman Brothers to work with the limo supply companies to provide low interest loans for the more expensive hybrid vehicles.

The new rules will need to be voted on by the Taxi and Limousine Commission in April. The rules for taxis have already been changed. 825 taxis in New York are already hybrids. By October, there should be 1,000. And by 2012, all 13,000 are supposed to be hybrid vehicles.

"Between yellow taxis and black cars, more than 23,000 Taxi and Limousine Commission regulated cars will be required to be more efficient," Bloomberg said in a statement Wednesday.

"This will allow us to achieve substantial emissions reductions for our city and keep us moving towards our long term goal of creating a truly sustainable city," he added.

Bloomberg noted that the black town cars are responsible for two percent of the city's emissions. By doubling the fuel efficiency, they can cut in half the emissions.