1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Calling Prius a limo is a stretch for some

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by zenMachine, Aug 10, 2007.

  1. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2007
    3,355
    300
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Without discussion, the county's Public Transportation Commission rejected his request Wednesday to license the trendy fuel-sipping car as a limousine. It would have been the first hybrid vehicle licensed for public hire in Hillsborough.

    The owner of TB Limo Black Car Service in North Redington Beach, Leib groused that commissioners didn't talk over his proposal. Chairman Kevin White posed the only question: Did you bring a picture of the car?

    http://www.sptimes.com/2007/08/09/Business...s_a_limo_.shtml
     
  2. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    You know, I've been thinking of making a Prius limo. Out of WeePris, of course. We'll see how that goes first, and then if we have a couple of willing volunteers, I'll break out the cutting torch. :)

    Note to Tamiya: Please, please, can you make a scale model Prius? I'll buy several, I promise.
     
  3. Sufferin' Prius Envy

    Sufferin' Prius Envy Platinum Member

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2004
    3,998
    18
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    What the customer wants, the customer can't get in Hillsborough. :rolleyes:

    So, if you want "limo service" you are automatically forced to be transported around in a monster sized vehicle?
    Now there's some forward thinking. <_<
     
  4. mjms2b

    mjms2b MJ Green

    Joined:
    May 8, 2007
    349
    3
    0
    Location:
    Socal
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 9 2007, 11:32 PM) [snapback]493438[/snapback]</div>

    Florida is too busy counting ballots than to devote resources to innovation. there is hope in the article though.


    "Hybrid vehicles are beginning to show up in limo fleets nationwide, said Camella Lobo, assistant editor of Limousine & Chauffeured Transportation magazine, a monthly trade publication.

    About 100 of the 8,500 limo and car service companies in the United States have at least one vehicle running on hybrid engines or biodiesel fuel, she said."
     
  5. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2007
    3,355
    300
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    The Tampa Bay entrepreneur is not alone...

    News

    On the other hand, there are green limo services already in many big cities:

    3 Passenger Toyota Prius Mid-Sized Hybrid Limo

    Ecolimo

    And of course, this:

    http://www.ozocar.com/
     
  6. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2007
    1,292
    82
    11
    Location:
    Camas, WA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Aug 9 2007, 10:53 PM) [snapback]493429[/snapback]</div>
    Deleted - posted in wrong place.
     
  7. catgic

    catgic Mastr & Commandr Hybrid Guru

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2007
    586
    140
    1
    Location:
    HTTP 404 Not Found
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    HTTP 404 Not Found
     
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,926
    16,146
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    The comments (for once) are actually worth reading!
     
  9. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2007
    3,355
    300
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(catgic @ Aug 12 2007, 06:27 AM) [snapback]494252[/snapback]</div>
    Tropical Trail? Hey, I know where that is. Merritt Island, correct?
     
  10. catgic

    catgic Mastr & Commandr Hybrid Guru

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2007
    586
    140
    1
    Location:
    HTTP 404 Not Found
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    HTTP 404 Not Found
     
  11. sdexpress

    sdexpress New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2007
    0
    0
    0
  12. The Fueling Station

    The Fueling Station New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2007
    1
    0
    0
    Here's an update on the Tampa Prius limo story published last week in the St Petersburg Times.
    A State Rep has now gotten involved and urged the county to rethink its policy.
    Here's a link to The Fueling Station blog where the letter was published today.

    http://blogs.tampabay.com/energy/2007/08/l...company-ow.html
     
  13. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2007
    3,355
    300
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sdexpress @ Aug 14 2007, 10:29 AM) [snapback]495352[/snapback]</div>
    A Hummer Limo Service that's posting on a Prius chat board?
    And the poster drives a #9?
    Hmmm....
    HMMMMM.....

    Yowsah!!
     
  14. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    10,664
    567
    0
    Location:
    Adelaide South Australia
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Here in Adelaide South Australia if you wanted to have any 4 cylinder car for a limousine that would be tough. It doesn't matter how wonderful or special your car is, if it has less than 6 cylinders it can't be a limo. I can't wait for the brain explosion when the passenger transport board has an aplication from someone wanting to use an electric car. Stupid rules!!
     
  15. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2005
    2,366
    4
    0
    Location:
    Bloomfield Hills, MI
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    It's where government attempts at writing rules fail. Has to be six cylinders? Why? Has to be a luxury vehicle? Define luxury. What's the point of attempting at defining the specifics of a vehicle that would be defined as a limo? A cadillac or a mercedes would be presumed to be luxury rides perhaps but that sort of leaves out a hummer. That's one vehicle that definitely is not luxury. Besides, limo service is a service, not a specific conveyance. Of course, the municipality may have been in cozy circumstance with the biggest local limo service and the rules were defined as a method of protectionism.
     
  16. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

    Joined:
    Apr 8, 2005
    10,339
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sdexpress @ Aug 14 2007, 10:29 AM) [snapback]495352[/snapback]</div>

    I don't see a Prius listed anywhere.

    I think the Hummer limos are the most bloated, ugly, obscene things I've ever seen. I wouldn't step foot in one if I was in my wedding dress and late for the church.
     
  17. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2007
    3,355
    300
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Ladies and gents, meet the hybrid limo.
    Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation in Brighton recently added a fully loaded black Toyota Prius hybrid to its fleet of Benzes, Lincoln Town Cars and stretches, with plans to add at least a half-dozen more hybrids by early September.
    Dawson Rutter, company founder and president, purchased the Prius in early July after a Hollywood studio requested hybrids exclusively for use during a Boston visit.
    Rutter said he had to rent the cars from dealers - no small task - and realized it was in the company’s best interest to update his fleet.
    “That put the bug in my head,†said Rutter.
    “As a progressive company, we should get ahead of the hybrid wave.â€
    As a result, Rutter said, his is the first luxury car service in the country to provide environmentally choosy customers with the eco-friendly car of their dreams - the Prius.

    Hybrid limo not a stretch for Brighton co.
     
  18. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2007
    10,664
    567
    0
    Location:
    Adelaide South Australia
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The reason for the restrictions is to stop people starting cut price limo services which undermine the taxi industry. A taxi licence is worth about $150,000AU and are generally owned by wealthy people who lease them to taxi operators. They provide an excelent investment and the government protect that investment with regulation. The image of the city is the reason for the regulation, well that's the reason given.

    I believe if people want a Prius or Datsun 120Y limo they should be able to hire it if someone is willing to offer it and it meets a safe maintainance standard.
     
  19. oly_57mpg

    oly_57mpg New Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2005
    360
    3
    0
    Location:
    Olympia, Portland, Seattle...
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Aug 10 2007, 02:32 AM) [snapback]493438[/snapback]</div>
    You've never been to Florida, I see. hahaha...
     
  20. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2007
    3,355
    300
    0
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius