(June 7, 2010) When Tim Conlon, president of California Yellow Cab, first laid eyes on the new Ford Transit Connect, he wondered if it had a future in taxi service. Now, having seen the award-winning small commercial van in person, he says it has potential to be "the iconic taxi of the future."

In fact, Conlon is so confident of the Transit Connect Taxi package – which goes into production and arrives in dealerships later this year – he's already put in an order for 25 units.

What drove Conlon's decision – and is driving interest among other taxi companies – is the Transit Connect's alternative fuel engine prep package, which enables conversion to efficient, clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG) or propane (LPG, or liquefied petroleum gas).

Both CNG and LPG are popular among taxi operators because of their low cost of ownership. California Yellow Cab of Santa Ana will convert its Transit Connects to CNG, to take advantage of the availability of natural gas fueling stations in Orange County. With the acquisition, Conlon expects California Yellow Cab to become the first taxi company in the Southern California to operate half of its 220-vehicle fleet on natural gas.

"California Yellow Cab started to use natural gas in 2002 before there were many refueling stations," Conlon said. "Now that the infrastructure has built up, we'll be able to help protect Orange County's air quality even more with the Transit Connect. It's a perfect fit for our drivers, and its roomy, easy-to-access interior will appeal to our customers as well."

The flexible interior of the Transit Connect is well suited for both taxi service and conversion to CNG and LPG. The vehicle's 135 cubic feet of cargo space accommodates a compressed gas tank while leaving ample passenger legroom and cargo capacity.

To serve taxi operators, Ford will provide calibration guidance for the CNG or LPG conversion. By properly following Ford's recommendations, the conversion can be completed without voiding the engine's warranty.