Japanese automaker Nissan has been selected as the company who will be providing the next generation of taxis for New York City. The new cab which will be the only version to replace all of today’s models is the Nissan NV200 minivan, a reiteration of the compact commercial NV200.
Mayor Bloomberg said "The city’s Taxi of Tomorrow is the Nissan NV 200 – and it’s going to be
the safest, most comfortable and most convenient cab the city has ever
had" "The new taxis will be custom-designed to meet the specific demands of
carrying 600,000 passengers a day in New York City traffic and the
vehicle meets the top priorities identified by the public in our on-line
survey."
The Nissan NV200 taxi will be produced at the automaker’s plant in Cuernavaca, Mexico and will be servicing the City of New York between 2013 and 2023.
The NV200 taxi will use a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder powertrain optimised for low consumption and emissions, will be able to accommodate 4 passengers and their luggage, will feature a ‘low-annoyance’ horn which will also be signaled through exterior lights, plus some of the other features will include sliding doors, a transparent roof panel, independently controlled rear air conditioning, a mobile charging station and a 6-way adjustable driver’s seat.
The Nissan NV200 taxi will also come with navigation and telematics systems as standard, as well as numerous airbags, traction control and Vehicle Dynamic Control.
Nissan is also expected to work with the City of New York and cab owners to study the usage of electric vehicles as taxis.
