Stretch Fusion Hybrid the Eco Answer to Lincoln Town Cars

Go to just about any American airport and you will see many Lincoln Town Cars, mostly black, picking up and dropping off passengers. Now, these upscale taxis have a much more environmentally-friendly competitor – the Royale Hybrid Electric Livery Vehicle (HELV). Royale Limousines, a Cabot Coach Builders Company in Haverhill, Massachusetts, is a Certified Lincoln Qualified Vehicle Modifier and Cadillac Master Coachbuilder. Besides building many stretch limousines and limo buses, starting in 1998 it also added six inches to many Lincoln Town Cars, thus creating the predecessor to the now factory-built Town Car Executive L.

The new HELV is basically a stretched Ford CD338 platform so it’s available now in hybrid Ford Fusion form or as a Mercury Milan version next spring. Royale has developed a method to cut the hybrid cars in half and then stretch overall length and wheelbase by six inches. The company also adds many luxury upgrades.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid L offers a nearly a 20 percent increase in rear legroom without compromising ride quality or adding significant weight. It also offers about 95 percent of the rear leg and shoulder room of the Lincoln Town Car Executive L. Besides extending the chassis, the rear doors are longer for easier entry and exit.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is powered by a fuel sipping 2.5 liter, Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine mated to an eCVT automatic transmission compared to the Lincoln’s thirsty V-8. The Fusion and Milan hybrids have 41 mpg city/36 mpg highway EPA fuel economy ratings and a combined fuel economy rating of 39 mpg. This compares to only 18 mpg for the Lincoln Town Car L. Most important for livery vehicles plying urban routes is the city mpg rating comparison, with the Fusion topping the Town car’s 15 mpg city rating by an additional 26 mpg in city driving.

The HELV can travel at speeds up to 47 mph in electric mode exclusively on its nickel metal hybrid battery. Regenerative braking helps keep the batteries charged. With its 17.5 gallon fuel tank the Fusion livery can travel 682 miles between fill-ups, twice as far as the Town Car. When the engine is automatically shut down rather than idling during stops, amenities including dual air conditioners run off the accessory battery so there’s little or no idling emissions. The HELV has a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) rating.

Probably the most important item to an operator is lower annual fuel cost. Based on $3.00 a gallon gasoline and 70,000 miles per year, the fuel cost is $5,385 versus $11,667 for the Lincoln. The HELV list price is about the same as a Lincoln Town Car. Plus, to reduce investment cost, the Fusion hybrid is eligible for a $3,400 tax credit from the federal government.

Royale is also looking at a stretch version for police applications. This would provide more room to carry the bad guys in the back seat, offering greater legroom and a wider rear door than the popular Ford Crown Victoria patrol car.