- Nissan chosen as exclusive provider of NYC taxi fleet –
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (May 8, 2011) – New York is “hailing” a new era of urban mobility today, as the city with the nation’s largest taxi fleet has selected Nissan to design and supply the next-generation “Taxi of Tomorrow.” The announcements were made today during a City Hall press briefing that included Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Nissan Americas Chairman Carlos Tavares.
The New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) selected the Nissan NV200 as the exclusive taxi of New York City beginning in late 2013. The award comes after a rigorous, 16-month selection process. The competition built upon more than a century of taxi industry heritage to drive the design and creation of a purpose-built vehicle, tuned to the city’s streets. The other two finalists included Ford Motor Co. and Karsan, a Turkish vehicle manufacturer.
“Nissan is proud to provide the next generation of taxis for the City of New York,” said Tavares. “The NV200 taxi will give Nissan the opportunity to showcase our dedication to vehicle quality and urban mobility to more than 600,000 passengers every day.”
The Nissan NV200 taxi will be produced in North America at Nissan’s facility in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The Nissan NV200 taxi will be a modified version of the compact commercial van currently available in global markets including Japan, Europe and China. Total cost of the vehicle, with all planned standard features, will be $29,000.
As part of the program, the company also will work with the City and taxi owners on a pilot program to study the use of zero-emission, electric vehicles as taxis. Nissan will provide up to six 100-percent electric Nissan LEAFs to taxi owners for testing in 2012 as well as the charging infrastructure to support their use.
Planned innovations, which respond to direct input from drivers, owners and passengers, include:
- 2.0L 4-cylinder engine, engineered to enhance the fuel efficiency of the taxi fleet;
- Ample room for four passengers and their luggage, substantially improved over current taxi models;
- A low-annoyance horn with exterior lights that show when the vehicle is honking, helping reduce noise pollution;
- Sliding doors with entry step and grab handles, providing easy entry and exit;
- Transparent roof panel (with shade) that will provide unique views of the city;
- Independently controlled rear air conditioning with a grape phenol-coated air filter to improve cabin air quality;
- Attractive, breathable, antimicrobial, environmentally friendly and easy-to-clean seat fabric that looks and feels like leather;
- Overhead reading lamps for passengers and floor lighting to help locate belongings;
- A mobile charging station for passengers that includes a 12V electrical outlet and two USB plugs;
- A six-way adjustable driver’s seat that features both recline and lumbar adjustments, even with a partition installed;
- Standard driver’s navigation and telematics systems.
Nissan also focused on passenger safety when designing the NV200 taxi. Key safety features include:
- Rear-seat airbags, as well as driver and front passenger side and curtain airbags;
- Standard traction control and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC);
- Sliding doors to prevent pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists getting struck by doors opening unexpectedly;
- Lights that alert other road users that taxi doors are opening.
With more than 13,000 taxis traveling a cumulative 500 million miles per year, durability was a key factor in the “Taxi of Tomorrow” selection process. Nissan will train taxi fleet operators to conduct routine in-house service and repairs, and will also provide the first available service bay at Nissan Commercial Vehicle dealers.
ABOUT TAXI OF TOMORROW (PLACEHOLDER FOR ToT/TLC BOILERPLATE)
In 2007, City officials convened a group of stakeholders, including representatives of taxi drivers, owner and passengers, to create a set of goals for the next New York City taxi cab, a project called the Taxi of Tomorrow. In December 2009, the TLC issued a "request for proposals," inviting auto manufacturers and designers to submit their best ideas for a purpose-built vehicle to serve as a New York City taxicab. At the end of the evaluation, the Nissan NV200 was selected, and will be the next New York City taxicab for ten years, beginning in 2013.
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