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Company Hails 'Clean' Hybrid Car Cabs September 2004There's no key. It makes no noise when driving and gets up to 60 miles per gallon. And soon it may be coming to a taxi stand near you.PlanetTran, the first company in Cambridge to license hybrid vehicles, is already operating an environmentally friendly car service, and owner Seth Riney hopes to transition into the taxicab service in the next year or two. "It's a marvel of technology and innovation and it's really the way of the future," Riney, 30, raves about the new 2004 Toyota Prius. Based in Kendall Square, PlanetTran currently operates as a livery service between Logan Airport and destinations in the greater Boston area. Riney hopes to grow his three car fleet between now and the Democratic National Convention. A ride with PlanetTran from Cambridge to the airport ranges from $27 to $34 - slightly more than a regular cab and less than a limousine. Toyota Prius are hybrid vehicles that run alternately on gas and electric batteries. Although older models required extension cord hookups, the batteries are now charged by the engine. The asking price is just under $21,000, and the wait for one at an Allston dealership is eight to 12 months. The Cambridge License Commission had an unofficial moratorium on new public vehicle licenses, but made an exception for these eco-friendly automobiles. "We haven't issued any new licenses unless they can show there's an absolute need or unless they can show is something new to the city," said Richard Scali, executive officer of the Cambridge License Commission. With three cars and six part-time drivers, Riney estimates that he can provide 300 to 400 runs to the airport each month. He is currently running about 10 to 25 trips a week. Driving around Cambridge on Earth Day, last Thursday, April 22, Riney demonstrated the features of the new cars. Operating like a computer on wheels, the Prius has a power button where most cars have an ignition switch. Along with all the usual dials, the sleek dashboard features a screen that shows which power source the car is drawing on. "It's almost like a video game because you want to make it as efficiently as possible," Riney said, driving in stealth mode along Memorial Drive. Stealth mode is hybrid jargon for running solely on battery power. Down the line, Riney hopes to tap into the car's wireless Internet capabilities to use the monitor to streamline the dispatching process. A pilot by training, Riney worked in the aerospace industry in California before moving to Boston to work at Internet startups. He and his wife, Pearl, live on Peter Street in Cambridgeport and are expecting their first child in November. The eternal optimist, Riney says he won't stop with car and taxi service. Next he wants PlanetTran to expand into charter jet service. "I want to be the first company to get you door to door from East Coast city to East Coast city, but that's five or 10 years away - when I generate enough capital from PlanetTran to buy an $800,000 plane," he said. SOURCE: Cambridge Chronicle | ||
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