NYC Taxi Commission banning Lexus RX450h - it's too powerful

You'd be WRONG.

This without knowing ANYTHING about the Nissan.

Oh..., "NY roads"

Sorry, I was thinking NYC streets.

 

No, perfectly, PERFECTLY, serious.

Many manufacturers of FWD and F/awd vehicles are already detuning/derating their potentially TOO POWERFUL engine's torque in low gear ranges via DBW. Otherwise it is far to easy to inadvertently "wonder" into TC, or even VSC, activation territory, highly frustrating TC activation territory.

While the statement was a bit tongue in cheek the intent was clear. The RX450h is 'way overpowered for use as a NYC taxis. Think CX-7 or Venza, DFI I4, as a hybrid and you'd be more on track.

Shame those don't yet exist...soon...??

 

Umm no that's why most mfg have TSC buttons that you can turn off and on. Most non-hybrids have these like my wife's Venza. I don't see TMC tuning down the 6-cylinder on the RAV 4. In fact the amount of power has increased by quite a bit since intro'd in '94 with 120hp which also makes it a bit of a rocket even beating out the RX450h. The extra HP is designed for towing. You should probably ask efusco about too much power in his RX.

 

Know Your Hybrid Abbreviations.

 

The RX450h taxis are too powerful...
But the Ford Excursion limos are not too powerful ???????

 

No, most FWD or F/awd vehicle manufacturer's have now come to the realization, possibly the result of "proding" by the insurance industry, that low end POWER can turn DEADLY very QUICKLY. You can have all the power you wish, 600HP..?, even, but NOT for low end acceleration.

Absent detuning of a high powered, 200HP+ FWD vehicle TC would/might be activating so often as to be a complete nuisance. And now with DBW who is to notice...??

"Boy" racers, maybe..?

 

huh? NV200h are going to be rated 25 combined... with less rating for city... with city idling, RX450h will get substantially better mileage in real life.

 

i still dont get it... It is better to use another car that gets 30% lower mpg and higher emissions?

i dont think these taxi drivers are gunning it out on the streets, they are probably concerned more about their running costs.

 

I was thinking the ability to pose a danger to the public. A vehicle that accelerates quickly could do that. Also, a vehicle that weighs 8000 lbs and has 500 lb-ft of torque and 400hp could cause a lot of damage at 5mph. To me, both fall under the definition of "too much power" when it comes to posing a danger to the public.

 

In this case "too much power" might have to do with all the unwarranted parasitic losses, frictional, pumping, etc, that would not be present with a smaller, less powerful engine, a more reasonably sized engine considering the "use" circumstances.

If you need, require, and often put to use, that level of power then the extra losses are warranted.

 

uhm, but it is getting 30 MPG vs NV200 that will get 25mpg.

I dont get this at all.

 

Someone call me? Maybe wana race my power glutton?


Maybe when someone else makes an AWD hybrid Luxury SUV that get this kind of EPA mpg's:


Maybe then we'll consider changing . . . but with NOTHING on the horizon ... fugetaboutit.
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Here's one of the six, in front of me on the Long Island Expressway:

[IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=30592&d=1306633957[/IMGLINK]

 

For what it's worth, the New York Times article was misleading. The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission did not adopt new regulations banning the Lexus RX450h because it was too powerful. Rather, the RX450h's horsepower had ALWAYS exceeded the Commission's maximum horsepower regulations. It's just that the Commission had MISTAKENLY said that the RX450h was in compliance, and it did not realize its error until last month.

Here's the complete text of what the Commission passed last month correcting this error, and modifying its rules to allow some other non-complying vehicles to now comply. It's very boring. But it gives the reader an idea of what the Commission has to deal with (it's not as knee-jerk simplistic as what the Times article suggests).

http://prtl-drprd-web.nyc.gov/html/tlc/downloads/pdf/emergency_rule_veh_specs_2011_final.pdf

 

yes... 280hp HH is ok, 295hp RX450h is not ok, even if it gets better MPG.

it made sense in 80's, when more hp meant less mpg.

 

True. The regulations as they now stand do not make complete sense.

You know that the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission TWICE passed regulations requiring a certain minimum gas mileage; and at the time, these requirements could only be met by certain hybrid vehicles. But the taxi fleet owners challenged these regulations in court and won both times.

 

i wonder if Prius V meets the requirements...

 

At risk of making a zombie out of this thread . . . there seems to be a NEW player entering the NY taxi game ... and it includes a NON ICE:

New York hails Nissan for its new cabs | Green Tech - CNET News

Regardless of how good Nissan's van MPG is, the half dozen Leafs that Nissan are kicking into the taxi fleet mix will definately skew the MPG/Emission factor upward.

And Boo, that's a VERY nice shot you got of the SUV Lexus hybrid ... not that it'd be my personal first choice for OUR 400h.


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