Business & Tech
Propane Powers Baltimore Taxis
Veolia Transportation launched a fleet of 50 propane power taxis.
Some Baltimore cabs are running on a new kind of gas.
About 50 Yellow and Checker taxis powered by propane autogas hit the streets on Friday. The ceremonial launch of the fleet was held at an event at Veolia Transportation's Mid-Atlantic headquarters in Remington.
Mike Barrett, Veolia’s Transportation’s director of maintenance, said each cab is equipped with a 24-gallon propane tank in the trunk of the vehicle. Running on propane costs about $1.40 to a $1.60 less than traditional fossil fuel. Propane also reduces a vehicle’s emissions by about 30 percent.
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The cars will also run on traditional gas but will only do that before the engine is warm enough to use the propane or if the propane runs out.
"Anywhere you can get your gas grill filled you can fill this," Barrett said.
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U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, state Sen. Catherine Pugh, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake were all on hand to celebrate the launching of the fleet.
Rawlings-Blake even took the ceremonial first ride in one of the cabs.
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