Clean Air Cab was an

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

-based carbon-neutral

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

service provider, and the second taxi fleet in the U.S. to use only hybrid vehicles. Based in

Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is the most populous city in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is bordered by Tempe on the west, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Communit ...

, it served the Phoenix area with environmentally friendly transportation service by using clean automotive technology. Clean Air cab ceased operations November 2016.

Description

The main goal of the operation was to be an environmentally aware business, and to take action to mitigate the damage done by pollution while providing a reliable and competitive transportation service. Launched in October 2009, it was the first subsidiary company of Beyond Green, L.L.C. The taxi fleet once consisted of 29

Toyota Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door sedan, it has been produced only as a five-door liftback since 2003. In 2007, ...

vehicles, whose hybrid design helped cut emissions by 66% compared to typical taxi fleets of

Ford Crown Victoria The Ford Crown Victoria ("Crown Vic") is a full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford. The successor to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, two generations of the model line were produced from the 1992 to 2012 model years. The Fo ...

s. Only vehicles that qualified as Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicles, which are hybrid vehicles that work to minimize air pollution, were used. Using hybrid vehicles helped the state of Arizona do its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with the

Western Climate Initiative Western Climate Initiative, Inc. (WCI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation which administers the shared emissions trading market between the American state of California and the Canadian province of Quebec as well as separately administering th ...

, which is "a collaboration of independent jurisdictions who commit to work together to identify, evaluate, and implement policies to tackle climate change at a regional level." The company purchased

carbon offset A carbon offset is a reduction or removal of emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. Offsets are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e). One ton of carb ...

s and supported

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands ( forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A de ...

by subsidizing the planting of 10 rain forest trees monthly for each cab in service. Their atmospheric carbon reduction partners were Trees for Tempe at the local level, and Trees for the Future and Carbonfund.org on a global level. Since October 19, 2009 over 15,000 trees had been planted.

Charity involvement

Clean Air Cab had a "Pink Cab", where some of the fares are donated to

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Susan G. Komen (formerly known as Susan G. Komen for the Cure; originally as The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; often simply as Komen) is a breast cancer organization in the United States. Komen focuses on patient navigation and advo ...

,. Three more cabs were added in 2011, for the Phoenix Children's hospital,

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...

, and

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

. In December 2009, Clean Air Cab sponsored the Pro Players Classic charity golf tournament. Clean Air Cab actively participated in the

Valley Metro The Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority, more popularly known as Valley Metro, is the unified public brand of the regional transit system for the Phoenix metropolitan area. Within the system, it is divided between Valley Metro ...

's Adopt-A-Station program to maintain cleanliness at light rail stations, promoting the use of environmentally friendly transportation choices.

Affiliations

Clean Air Cab was a member of both the Phoenix Green Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Phoenix Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. It was also a member of Valley Forward, a Phoenix-based

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

focusing on environmental protection and sustainability. In February 2013 Clean air Cab joined One Community and signed the Unity Pledge decreeing equality for all individuals regardless of orientation in the work place.

References

{{Reflist Taxis of the United States Taxi companies Green vehicles

Description

Charity involvement

Affiliations

See also

References