The purchase is part of the company’s goal of reducing emissions by 25%, said Michael Levine, CEO of Taxi Medallion Management. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), CNG is less expensive and burns cleaner than gasoline, resulting in 30 to 40% less greenhouse gas emissions.

The Ford dealership, Packey Webb Ford, of Downers Grove, Ill., will deliver the taxi units to Taxi Medallion Management with an engine preparation package for conversion to CNG.

Since introduced as a production vehicle last year, Transit Connect Taxi is gaining interest from taxi operators around the country. The first taxi was delivered to Boston Cab Dispatch in December 2010.

The Transit Connect Taxi package adds comfort for the passenger with a repositioned second-row seat for more legroom, grab handles and a rear ventilation system with passenger controls. For the driver, in addition to the comfortable driving environment, new features include rear view camera and back-up sensor, heavy-duty battery and wiring block connector to power upfitted accessories. The taxis have a 39-foot turning radius.

The standard Ford Transit Connect—2010 North American Truck of the Year—features a 2.0-liter I-4 engine that gets EPA-estimated 21 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, an estimated 30% improvement in fuel economy compared with traditional taxis.

In addition to CNG, Transit Connect Taxi is available with an engine preparation package for conversion to liquefied propane gas (LPG).

During its first full year of production, 27,405 Transit Connect vehicles were sold in the United States.