For's Hybrid Taxi National Tour Kicks off in Chicago.

San Francisco taxi driver Paul Gillespie anticipates a recurring question when he picks up fares in his Ford Escape Hybrid taxi: How's the fuel economy? Gillespie is happy to report he's saving approximately $30 per 12-hour shift or more than $6,000 a year. "Customers are always surprised when I slow down for a light and the gas engine shuts off," said Gillespie, who drove the first Escape Hybrid taxi. "The electric engine is so quiet they think the cab has stalled out, so I try to explain hybrid technology to them." Hybrids are perfect for cabdrivers or anyone who does stop-and-go city driving, he added.