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How a New York cabby can get an MV-1 taxi for just $11k

AM General – the same company that's behind the Hummer – is making it easier for taxi drivers to buy one of its wheelchair accessible cabs in New York. Between the factory's own incentives and those offered by the city, the new MV-1 Empire Taxi can cost as little as $11,200. Unlike other vehicles that can be converted after production for handicapped mobility, the MV-1 is designed by AM General from the get-go as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Mobility Ventures LLC – the AM General subsidiary responsible for the MV-1 – displayed a yellow cab version at the New York Auto Show in 2012, and is now bringing it to market as the MV-1 Empire Taxi. Pricing has been announced, and it is rather competitive, to say the least. Mobility Ventures charges $33,000 for one of its wheelchair-accessibly taxis. But the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission is offering a $14,000 grant toward the purchase of a wheelchair-accessible cab, bringing the purchase price down to $19,000. Of course, the Commission will offer the same incentives towards the purchase of any wheelchair-accessible vehicle, but converting an existing van for the purpose generally costs a good $10-20k. So while a Nissan NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow, for example, might start at under $30k, add in the cost of mobility conversion and you're looking at a lot more – a solid $10k more, according to Mobility Ventures. If the $19k purchase price isn't enough to get New York cabbies on board, the manufacturer and the commission are offering further incentives for some customers. For every wheelchair-bound passenger a driver picks up, the city will pay the cabby 50 cents – that may not sound like a lot, but it adds up over time. What's more, Mobility Ventures will match the incentive for the first 25 customers who buy an MV-1 Empire Taxi, which combined can come to as much as $7,800 in payments over the course of a year. Work that into the equation and the end cost of the new Empire Taxi could come out to just $11,200. Mobility Ventures is working with other cities to offer similar incentives, with negotiations currently under way in Washington with the DC Taxi Commission. Mobility Ventures Unveils New "MV-1 Empire Taxi" for NYC - More Legroom and Luggage Space Than any Other Taxi or Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle - Innovative Program will Match TLC Payments to Drivers for Every Ride in a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, Along with Special MV-1 Purchase Discounts NEW YORK, Jan.

For EV drivers, realities may dampen the electric elation

The Atlantic, a decades-old monthly journal well-regarded for its intelligent essays on international news, American politics and cultural happenings, recently turned its attention to the car world. A piece that ran in The Atlantic in October examined the excesses of the GMC Hummer EV for compromising safety. And now in its latest edition, the magazine ran a compelling story about the challenges of driving an electric vehicle and how those experiences “mythologize the car as the great equalizer.” Titled “The Inconvenient Truth About Electric Vehicles,” the story addresses the economics of EVs, the stresses related to range anxiety, the social effects of owning an electric car — as in, affording one — and the overarching need for places to recharge that car. Basically, author Andrew Moseman says that EV life isn't so rosy: “On the eve of the long-promised electric-vehicle revolution, the myth is due for an update. Americans who take the plunge and buy their first EV will find a lot to love Â… they may also find that electric-vehicle ownership upends notions about driving, cost, and freedom, including how much car your money can buy. "No one spends an extra $5,000 to get a bigger gas tank in a Honda Civic, but with an EV, economic status is suddenly more connected to how much of the world you get to see — and how stressed out or annoyed youÂ’ll feel along the way.” Moseman charts how a basic Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck might start at $55,000, but an extended-range battery, which stretches the distance on a charge from 230 miles to 320, “raises the cost to at least $80,000. The trend holds true with all-electric brands such as Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid, and for many electric offerings from legacy automakers. The bigger battery option can add a four- or five-figure bump to an already accelerating sticker price.” As for the charging issue, the author details his anxiety driving a Telsa in Death Valley, with no charging stations in sight. “For those who never leave the comfort of the city, these concerns sound negligible," he says. "But so many of us want our cars to do everything, go everywhere, ferry us to the boundless life we imagine (or the one weÂ’re promised in car commercials),” he writes. His conclusions may raise some hackles among those of us who value automotive independence — not to mention fun — over practicalities.

Mil-Spec built a one-off, track-ready Hummer H1

Mil-Spec is one of the latest companies looking for success with restored and modified versions of iconic vehicles. Rather than Porsche 911s or '60s trucks and SUVs, its canvases are Hummer H1s. The customer vehicles are big, brash off-road machines, but that's not all the company is capable of. We recently learned that the crew over there built a Hummer H1 meant for race track use, and it is amazing. The base vehicle is a four-door convertible pickup truck, and Mil-Spec thoroughly changed the suspension. It has custom coilovers with stiff springs, and the entire suspension geometry has been revised. Overall, it was lowered a stunning seven inches compared with a stock H1. The H1's in-board brakes now feature six-piston brake calipers, and the wheels are wrapped in low-profile Pirelli P-Zero tires. Also impressive is the fact that the truck still has a part-time four-wheel-drive system. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Under the hood is a 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V8 similar to that in the customer models. But this one has been tuned all the way up to 800 horsepower and 1,500 pound-feet of torque. This engine also plays a role in this truck's origins. Apparently the truck was used for final powertrain testing and development. But it was also built to highlight the company's capabilities. If you want one of these, well, you can't have one. At least not yet. We asked a Mil-Spec representative, and he told us that there are no plans for offering track-oriented H1s. That's understandable, since the company is still working through building and selling its initial run of 12 off-road-ready vehicles. He did say the truck has generated a lot of interest, though. So, maybe when the company has time, and if a really wealthy buyer really wanted one, maybe the Mil-Spec could work something out. But at least in the meantime, the company is sticking to tall, chunky-tired H1s. Related Video: