Autoblog

New York City taxi finalists narrowed to Ford, Nissan and Turkish manufacturer

Zach Bowman — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Work, Ford, Nissan, Specialty

Ford Transit Connect NYC Taxi Cab - Click above for high-res image gallery

New York City is one step closer to choosing its next official taxi cab. With the Ford Crown Victoria getting on in years, the city is looking for a more efficient and functional way to move its citizens around. So far, the designs have been whittled down to three choices, and no matter who comes out on top, you can bet that the world will be seeing a lot more minivans in the Big Apple. Nissan, Ford and a Turkish company by the name of Karsan all have designs in the final round, and each eschews the traditional sedan taxi form in favor of something with a taller roof line.

Right now, New York City uses a fleet of 13,200 cabs built by a variety of manufacturers, but none of the vehicles are purpose-built people movers. For the next generation, NYC wanted a vehicle that was specifically designed to handle the average 70,000 miles of stop-and-go abuse per year that the city's taxi fleet endures.

Ford has thrown a version of its Transit Connect into the fracas, while Nissan's effort looks to be an industrial minivan that the company says could be fully electric in just a few years. Meanwhile, the Karsan design is spacious and wheel-chair accessible.

The winning design is set to be selected next year, with the new cabs hitting the street by the Fall of 2014. Thanks to all for the tips!

Gallery: New York City Taxi Cab Proposals

[Sources: NPR, WNYC]

New York City taxi finalists narrowed to Ford, Nissan and Turkish manufacturer originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Volkswagen unveils electric Milano Taxi concept in Hanover

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Europe, Work, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows, Electric

Volkswagen Milano Taxi concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Volkswagen is unveiling a new compact battery-powered taxi concept called the Milano at the Hanover Trade Show in Germany this week. The styling draws heavily on the Space Up! Blue concept that debuted at the 2007 LA Auto Show. One big difference, however, is that VW designers have eliminated the rear door on the driver's side so that passengers can only get in and out at the curb. The curb-side portal has likewise been expanded with a large forward-sliding door and the front passenger seat has given way to luggage space. The Milano Taxi concept also features a similar touch screen monitor setup to those already being used in some New York City cabs.

Like the production electric vehicles that Volkswagen will start building from 2013, the Milano Taxi uses lithium ion batteries. A 45 kilowatt-hour pack is mounted in the floor and provides a claimed 186-mile driving range on the EU driving cycle. The Milano Taxi is purely a concept at this point, but since it appears to be based on Volkswagen's "New Small Family" of low- and zero-emissions vehicles, we wouldn't be surprised to see the German automaker put a similar vehicle into production as an easy way to get more electric vehicles into the field a few years from now. High-res shots below, press release after the jump.

Gallery: Volkswagen Milano Taxi concept

[Source: Volkswagen]

Continue reading Volkswagen unveils electric Milano Taxi concept in Hanover

Volkswagen unveils electric Milano Taxi concept in Hanover originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

MetroKing, America's first domestically-made taxi since Checker?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Work, Chevrolet, GM

Click on the image above for a gallery of MetroKing's new taxi

Although the two events seemingly have nothing to do with each other, a new company called MetroKing has sprung up that hopes of manufacturing cabs in America just as former taxi maker Checker has filed for bankruptcy.

Starting with the underpinnings from a two-wheel drive Chevrolet Colorado Chassis Cab Work Truck, MetroKing replaces the pickup bed with a passenger compartment of its own design that features room for six occupants. The company points out that their design is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, being wheelchair accessible through a unique side access ramp. Interestingly, luggage rides alongside the driver on a dedicated tray, there is no passenger seating next to the driver. Thankfully, air conditioning is standard for the passenger compartment.

MetroKing offers its cab with either General Motors' 185-horsepower 2.9-liter four-cylinder engine or the larger 3.7L inline-five with 242-horsepower. In either case, both are mated to a standard four-speed automatic transmission.

We're not sure we care for the vehicle's London taxi-meets-cable-guy-truck aesthetics, but it's hard to argue with the potential versatility here. If nothing else, we like that the vehicle is built in the U.S. (Ford's Crown Victoria is built in Canada), and it has some nifty features, including a rear passenger compartment that can be removed as a single unit and refurbished for further use after its donor vehicle has been worn out. As veteran cab passengers, that sounds like a welcome development to us. Thanks for the tip, Michael!

Gallery: MetroKing taxi

[Source: MetroKing]

MetroKing, America's first domestically-made taxi since Checker? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

AM General to produce Standard Taxi cabs?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:06:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, Hummer, Military, Specialty

It sure ain't pretty, though beauty, in this case, is likely in the eye of the beholder. A few years back, a new take on the taxi was provided by Standard Taxi, a company based in Troy, Michigan. The design for the purpose-built people hauler uses GM running gear and is able to haul four passengers in relative comfort. We hadn't heard a peep from the company until today when we learned that Standard is now working on negotiations with AM General to build the vehicle in its plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, where AM General builds the Hummer H2 SUV and SUT. So far, no announcements have been made regarding whether or not the plant would continue working full-time in the face of lagging Hummer sales, though we imagine that plenty of excess capacity is available. According to AM General, the deal would in no way impact the assembly of military Hummer models.

We can't say whether a production version of the Standard Taxi would feature the pushrod 4.3-liter V6 that the concept had underhood, though there are plenty of options from the GM parts-bin from which to pilfer. A Standard Taxi equipped with GM's 2-Mode hybrid system could prove to be extremely well-suited for taxi duty in some of the world's toughest environments.

[Source: Hummer Guy]

AM General to produce Standard Taxi cabs? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments