There is a rising popularity of the use of hybrid vehicles mainly Honda hybrids as taxis in Kenya. It shows that they are catching the wave that has been in other countries where hybrids are known to be the go-to vehicles for those considering the taxi arena. While there are so many hybrid vehicles to choose from, Toyota Prius C Hybrid has proved to be the best option in the developed countries. We think the time is ripe for Kenyan taxi owners to start thinking about the Prius. In this article, we are giving them three reasons why they should consider the Toyota Prius C Hybrid for their taxi business.
The Toyota Prius C Hybrid Is Far More Reliable
The Prius had to last which is why Toyota did not mess around when building it. They knew its hybrid technology had to work if it were to change the world. Toyota bet it all on black, or green for that matter, and won. The result has been a worldwide phenomenon.
Prius quickly became a car people were attracted to, and when generation 2 was released in September 2003, consumers went crazy for it. People then began using the Prius for all sorts of crazy things, like hauling a couch or doing long road trips. This quickly got the attention of Taxi fleets. The incredible fuel economy was a huge turn on for them saving tens of thousands of dollars in fuel savings alone.
Taxi cars get abused, they go for hours upon hours at a time and in all sorts of varying conditions. Prius has been subjected to hard, fast, acceleration, extreme braking, and numerous start/stop engine cycles. Prius is incredibly reliable, going day in and day out without skipping a beat, makes it the ultimate taxi.
Toyota Prius C Hybrid Has Incredible Durability
Reliability is one thing, almost any new car is pretty reliable for the first few years it is on the road. The real test comes after hundreds of thousands of miles. Prius proved this pretty quickly. Taxi cars can log, on average, around 120,000 km in a year in some places. This means that they have to be relentless about working all the time.
Some Prius cars have reported well over 650,000 km or more before decommission. This is incredible. Even with some of the common issues these cars faced, they still were able to get repaired quickly, with minimal cost. The quick turnaround time makes them far more profitable because if they are driving, they are earning money.
Regular taxi cars would need to have more major repairs done such as engines and transmissions. This could keep a taxi down for days or even weeks sometimes. Prius is not that way. The engine and transmission Prius has is nearly trouble-free and has provided the operator with miles upon miles of longevity. This makes the Prius, one of the most durable options for a Taxi.
Toyota Made Prius C To Have Low Operating Costs
The Toyota Prius C Hybrid engineers were not just thinking about cleaning up the air when designing it. They were mainly focused on reducing our dependence on petroleum products. Fuel of course was a major factor, but also the minimal amount of other fluids made a huge difference as well. 2nd generation Prius uses only 3.5 liters per oil change, 3.8 liters of transmission fluid, and a small yet effective fuel tank. All of these things combined made Prius pretty maintenance savvy.
The transmission fluid could go far greater distances than before with Toyota’s new World Standard fluid. 100k intervals were really no sweat for a fluid change, making operating costs even lower. Oil changes went from 5,000 to 10,000 miles in 2010, allowing Prius to stay on the road longer and make more money.
The Comparison
In the developed countries, taxi, Uber and Lyft drivers prefer the Prius over something like a Honda, Ford, or Chevrolet? Prius has built a following for taxis like no other. Even with other car manufacturers bringing hybrids into the mix, the brand has spoken for itself. Prius is the ultimate car for the taxi business because it has proven itself over and over again.
We hope that this piece was informative especially to those of us eyeing the taxi business. Also, feel free to engage us on anything with regards to Toyota Prius C Hybrid