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Richmond Cabbie Starts Green San Francisco Cab Company
April 27, 2007

Mark Gruberg, a Richmond resident, made headlines today with his startup of a new cab company that uses only high mileage hybrid cars.

SAN FRANCISCO
Calling a cab with an environmental conscience

Upstart to cut back on gas with hybrid, alternative fuel cars

Michael Cabanatuan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, April 27, 2007

Mark Gruberg, co-owner of Green Cab, drives a Toyota Priu...The Green Cab sits in the yard between shifts. Chronicle ...Thomas George-Williams adds a decal to the cab, indicatin...A sign on the passenger door in the first Green Cab. Chro...More...

A new taxi company -- Green Cab -- has started hauling passengers around San Francisco, and its name refers not only to the snazzy paint job on its cabs but its vow to drive only hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles.

Launched this week with just a single Toyota Prius, Green Cab is a worker-owned company founded by eight San Francisco cabbies. Within five months, they expect to have at least five cabs on the streets.

"And then we expect to grow from there,'' said Mark Gruberg, one of the owners.

While Green Cab is open to using alternative-fuel vehicles, including those that run on compressed natural gas or biodiesel, practicality and the desire to maintain the cleanest vehicle fleet possible have the company focusing on high-mileage hybrids.

"There are two principles we feel most strongly about -- having a driver-run company and having an environmentally responsible company,'' he said.

The inaugural Green Cab was getting 41.4 miles per gallon on Wednesday. That compares to about 12 mpg for a Ford Crown Victoria, the typical San Francisco taxi, Gruberg said. Gasoline- sipping cabs benefit the environment as well as taxi drivers since they pay for fuel themselves.

"The gas savings could put a lot more in your pocket,'' he said.

San Francisco has other cabs that could be described as green: about 140 Crown Victorias that run on compressed natural gas and 40 hybrids, all or most of them Ford Escape sport utility vehicles. Another 25 alternative-fuel or hybrid taxis and 25 handicapped-accessible cabs are expected to hit the streets in the next few months.

San Francisco has 1,351 taxis.

Heidi Machen, executive director of the San Francisco Taxi Commission, said the commission is considering whether to require taxi companies to buy only alternative-fuel, hybrid or high-mileage vehicles when replacing retired cabs. The city's Environment Department approves an annual list of such vehicles.

"Every three years, the entire fleet of taxis turns over,'' she said. "By requiring this now -- by July 1 -- we could meet the mayor's goal of having 100 percent clean and green vehicles by 2010.''

But, so far, Green Cab is the only taxi company that has committed to building an entire fleet of cleaner cabs, Gruberg said.

"It seems like this is really coming together at the right moment,'' he said. "There is so much in the air about (low-emission cars) and in the public awareness."

Until Green Cab expands its fleet of hybrid taxis, callers won't be guaranteed a ride in a Prius, he said. But if a green vehicle isn't available, they won't be stranded. Another taxi company -- Regents -- is handling dispatch duties, and will offer to send another cab if a Green Cab isn't available.

But the company expects to grow quickly, Gruberg said.

"We think the public is going to be very, very receptive,'' he said, "and we're going to do our best to meet the demand.''

Green Cab can be reached at (415) 626-4733. The company's Web site is www.greencabsf.com. E-mail Michael Cabanatuan at mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/27/BAG2IPG4O135.DTL
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