London cab firm offers free rides in latest Prius

Eco-friendly private hire service greentomatocars is taking delivery of the very first third-generation Toyota Prius in London, and will give a nod to an old cabbie tradition by not charging passengers who ride in the new vehicle this Friday.

The only catch is that customers can’t request the new Prius; they will only find out if they’ve won a free journey on arrival.

greentomatocars founders Tom Pakenham and Jonny Goldstone came up with the idea as a nod to the age-old tradition of London cabbies not charging for their first fare after passing “The Knowledge.”

“We are delighted to offer all our customers the opportunity to be the first Londoners to experience the comfort, performance and unparalleled environmental benefits offered by the new Prius and for a lucky few, we hope to make them smile by giving them a free ride,” Pakenham said.

The new third-generation Prius hybrid boasts a fuel consumption of more than 70 mpg and generates even fewer carbon dioxide emissions than previous models.