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Michigan Green Cabs | Wixom, Michigan
Stronger Fuel Efficiency Standards Would Accelerate Cab Company’s Business
Jonathan Tobias
Michigan Green Cabs
Wixom, Michigan
Founded in 2008
Full-time employees: 50
Since 2008, Jonathan Tobias’s green cab company, Michigan Green Cabs, has been operating with a fully hybrid fleet that achieves an average of 51 miles per gallon. That’s an average that runs circles around the 28.3 miles per gallon American cars averaged in 2010.
Given his hybrid fleet’s success, it comes as no surprise that Jonathan is confident American automakers can reach a higher fuel economy standard in coming years. From his long history with both foreign and domestic cars, he’s certain a standard of 54.5 mpg, as proposed by the Obama Administration, is technologically within reach and that it will produce long-term economic benefits. The sooner new fuel standards are implemented, he feels, the sooner he will have greater spending power to expand his business and hire more employees.
“If we can get automotive manufactures on board with the partial-zero emission vehicles it could create thousands of jobs here rather than sending them to Japan. It’s long overdue.”
In the cab industry, drivers pay the price of fuel for their vehicles. One of the reasons his business has been so successful is because he’s been able to offer employees hybrid cabs getting stellar mileage. It significantly lowers the gas expenses they pay out of pocket. Drivers would rather work for him than for someone who would have them paying the fuel prices it takes to drive a Crown Victoria.
“If you want people to do the right thing, there needs to be financial incentives to do those things.”
Jonathan supports state and national fuel efficiency standards because they would help expand his business, not to mention better his employees’ quality of life. If he could give his drivers cars achieving at least 54.5 miles per gallon, it would position him to hire better drivers, because they would be pocketing more money. Most importantly, employees would achieve a better standard of living—giving them greater spending power, and better situating them to support their families and the economy.
