The greening of the iconic New York yellow taxi officially begins at 11 a.m. on Thursday as New Yorkers meet the first mini-fleet of hybrid taxicabs - six Ford Escape Hybrids. Ford was the first American auto manufacturer to introduce a hybrid vehicle.

The historic occasion was marked by a ceremony in New York, where officials from government, advocacy groups and industry gathered to send off the hybrid taxis in midtown Manhattan.

Since 1907, only gasoline-powered taxis have worked NYC streets. Thanks to the "Clean Air Taxis Act" and new TLC regulations implemented this past summer, New York's cab drivers are now free to choose from eight gas-electric hybrid models. These hybrid taxis will help clear the air for riders, provide a big gas-savings lifeline for their drivers, and lessen America's dependence on foreign oil.

Hybrid vehicles pollute far less and could achieve twice the city gas mileage of the current standard New York cab. The two- wheel-drive version of the Escape Hybrid achieves 36 miles per gallon in city driving, close to 500 miles per tank of gas, allowing cabbies to go an entire shift without taking time to fill up.

The change in city policy was prompted by growing public concern over New York's air quality -- ranked as the third worst among the country's cities in 2004.

Seven out of 10 New Yorkers in a poll conducted by CAST last summer said New York taxis should be converted to

According to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, each New York taxi averages nearly 100,000 miles of driving annually. So, the fuel savings for drivers and operators could reach the thousands of dollars every year.

That saving could allow hybrids' owners to recover the premium cost of the technology within the first year on the road.

"When I first proposed alternative-fuel cars be used as cabs three years ago, hybrids were just beginning to reach the marketplace," New York City Council Member David Yassky said. "But now -- with this new technology available and affordable, and with our law in place to allow these cars to be cabs -- there is no good reason to keep using gas guzzlers in the taxi fleet. I'd like to see all New York taxis be hybrids within the next five years." Yassky said allowing hybrid cabs is not only good for the environment, but also good for business.