Autoblog

Some NY cabs could avoid hybrid ban

Zach Bowman — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:46:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Government/Legal, Work, Nissan

The Nissan NV200 is having a rough go of it as New York City's Taxi of Tomorrow. The Greater New York Taxi Association wants the van banned on the grounds that it isn't a hybrid, and has gone so far as to sue the city to keep the NV200 out of taxi fleets. According to The New York Times, the city has responded by proposing to allow taxi drivers to use certain hybrid vehicles. The Taxi and Limousine Commission's proposal would allow any vehicle with an interior volume of 138 cubic feet or more. Unfortunately, that excludes nearly every machine that isn't the size of the NV200.

Technically, Nissan is working on a hybrid version of the Taxi of Tomorrow, but it may be years before that model hits the streets, and the Greater New York Taxi Association isn't satisfied with the city's offer. In a statement, the Association said, "These rules look like they have been created to short-circuit the litigation. We do not consider this to be a serious proposal."

Some NY cabs could avoid hybrid ban originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Nissan found the right yellow for NYC's Taxi of Tomorrow

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Work, Nissan, Design/Style

No matter where you go in New York City, yellow taxi cabs speckle the landscape, and the newly named Taxi of Tomorrow will certainly help continue this trend. After winning the bid to supply the Big Apple's iconic taxis, Nissan designers based in San Diego, California spent about a year coming up with the perfect shade of yellow to use on the 2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi when it starts picking up NYC fares in October 2013.

As you can see in the image above, Nissan's yellow is much lighter than some of the other current NYC taxis which Francois Farion, of Nissan Color and Design Strategy, maintains makes the NV Taxi look fresher than existing hues that offer a more orange, aged look. In the video, Farion says Nissan explored going with a color other than yellow for its new NV200 Taxi, but it sounds like the governing body of New York cabs, the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, quickly put the kibosh on that idea.

Stuck with yellow, Nissan then looked to find a shade that took paint availability, ease of repair and cost into consideration to make sure the vans are easy to fix and keep up. One of the rejected yellows had more of a shimmer which would have made it more difficult (most likely being harder to blend or match) for cab companies to repair.

Scroll down to check out Nissan's video and press releases.

Continue reading How Nissan found the right yellow for NYC's Taxi of Tomorrow

How Nissan found the right yellow for NYC's Taxi of Tomorrow originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'AXI' dropped from NYC taxis

Jeff Sabatini — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Specialty, Design/Style

Oh, how we love "rebranding." From the stumblebums at The Gap to the desperate deckhands on the Microsoft Titanic, needlessly changing your logo is all the rage these days, so we shouldn't be surprised to see the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission join in on the fun by eliminating the word "taxi" from the city's cabs. That's right, while they'll still be yellow and hailing one will still prove challenging for out-of-towners, New York's taxis will now be identified by a yellow capital "T" in a black circle.

According to The New York Times, besides their "axi," cabs will also be losing their passenger door fare panel - the information will be displayed on the cab's video screen instead. The subtle shift in design is the result of New York's Taxi of Tomorrow program, in which the Nissan NV200 was picked to become the city's exclusive taxi vehicle, starting next year. The t-in-a-circle logo was created by Smart Design.

David S. Yassky, the Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman, responded to questions about whether people would be able to identify the new cabs by saying, "Even the greenest of greenhorns will know that it's a taxicab," according to the report.

'AXI' dropped from NYC taxis originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Nissan's NYC taxi contract may be a ticket to Hollywood fame

Jeff Sabatini — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Marketing/Advertising, Work, Nissan, Specialty

"So here's the pitch. It's a movie about a car. But it's not really about a car. It's about something else. What that is isn't important. But it's got a car in it. Not just one car, but lots of cars. Thousands of them actually. And they're in almost every scene. But only in the background. And get this: They're all... wait for it... yellow! And the best part is, we don't have to pay anything for it, in fact, they're going to pay us to put our cars in the movie. And it's going to make our cars famous. But that's not all. Imagine this: It's not just one movie, but a hundred movies. And TV shows. Thousands and thousands of hours of entertainment, and our new Nissan NV200 is going to be the star! Okay, not the star, but an extra. A bright yellow extra. I'm telling you, this idea - it can't fail!

At least that's the thesis floated by Automotive News to help explain why Nissan is so stoked over winning the Taxi of Tomorrow contract with its NV200 compact van. Beginning in late 2013, the entire New York City taxi fleet will be converting to Nissan's aesthetically challenged people mover, which will replace the ubiquitous Ford Crown Victoria.

Whether this leads to any burnishing of the Nissan brand remains to be seen, but regardless, AN says the contract is worth 40,000 units in New York alone over the next 10 years. We have to expect that at least some taxi companies outside of the Big Apple won't be shy about ponying up the thirty-large Nissan is asking for its Mexican-made cab either, as the day when every last Ford Crown Victoria extant has joined the Checker Marathon in cabbie Valhalla is certainly coming.

How Nissan's NYC taxi contract may be a ticket to Hollywood fame originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VPG Autos MV-1 Taxi will leave the light on for you

Chris Paukert — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:03:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Minivan/Van, Truck, Work, Design/Style, MISC

The streets of Gotham are about to look a lot different. After being inundated with legions of bulky Ford Crown Victoria and the occasional Toyota Sienna or Prius for years, New York City's hack pool is slated to get a fresh crop of yellow ugly thanks to its "Taxi of Tomorrow" program.

Chief among those vehicles figures to be the Nissan NV200 Taxi, also unveiled at this week's New York Auto Show, but the Japanese automaker isn't the sole manufacturer to be in the good graces of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission. The 2013 MV-1 seen here has also gained approval, and its maker, the snappily named Vehicle Production Group, notes that this is the first purpose-built vehicle to gain the board's approval since the Checker Cab.

And not only is the MV-1 purpose-built for taxi duty, it was designed with the Americans with Disabilities Act in mind - the square-rigged design is built around a 56-inch by 36-inch door for wheelchair access, and VPG will fit MV-1s with either manual or power ramps as requested. The American-made, body-on-frame MV-1 will also be available powered by Compressed Natural Gas.

It remains to be seen how many taxi companies are eager to buy vehicles from a startup automaker, but VPG says it has approval for up to 13,000 units. We imagine much of the MV-1's success will come down to pricing and reliability, as well as acceptance of the vehicle's unusual appearance. Of course, Nissan's new NV doesn't look like it will be contending for any design laurels, either...

VPG Autos MV-1 Taxi will leave the light on for you originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi brings convenience, comfort, safety and homeliness to Gotham

Michael Harley — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:45:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Minivan/Van, Etc., Nissan, Specialty

Attendees at the New York Auto Show are getting their first hands-on look at the all-new 2014 Nissan NV200, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission's choice to replace much of its taxi fleet beginning in late 2013. "The Nissan NV 200 unveiled today will be the safest, most comfortable and most convenient taxi the City has ever had," said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at a pre-show event last night. "New York City cabs have always been iconic, and now they will set a new standard. The 600,000 passengers who use taxis to get around every day deserve the cutting-edge technology and top-of-the-line safety features that this model delivers."

The compact front-wheel drive yellow vans, fitted with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder for fuel efficiency, are loaded with features designed to keep four passengers and the driver on the other side of the partition smiling. Grab handles and sliding doors ease entry while a transparent roof panel and independently controlled rear air conditioning allows paying fares a comfortable, panoramic view of the city. Throw in mobile charging stations, antimicrobial upholstery and active carbon headliner to absorb odors, and an amusingly named "low annoyance horn" and Nissan just may have a winner on its hands - assuming cab companies and their fares embrace the rather frumpy looking things.

Nissan will build its 2014 NV200 Taxi in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Base price, with all planned standard features, will be approximately $29,700.

Continue reading 2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi brings convenience, comfort, safety and homeliness to Gotham

2014 Nissan NV200 Taxi brings convenience, comfort, safety and homeliness to Gotham originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan debuts production NV200 "Taxi of Tomorrow" for New Yorkers

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Minivan/Van, Nissan, Specialty

It takes but six months to crown a new American Idol, but the search for a replacement New York City taxi has taken five years, and the winner is finally ready to collect its flowers and contract.

The production taxi version of the NV200 is, except for its looks, just about all a cabbie and his passenger could want from their voyages together: more room, more lighting, a panoramic roof, airbags front and rear, climate control for back-seaters, charging ports and an active carbon headliner to absorb odors are just the start.

We've seen renderings of the interior, but the New York Auto Show is where locals will get a chance to meet their lemony carriages before they enter service next year. A mobility version for disabled passengers is being developed with Braun and will go on sale next year as well. Scroll down for the full skinny on the Taxi of Tomorrow, and click the image above to enlarge.

Continue reading Nissan debuts production NV200 "Taxi of Tomorrow" for New Yorkers

Nissan debuts production NV200 "Taxi of Tomorrow" for New Yorkers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan shows New Yorkers the inside of its new taxi

Noah Joseph — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Nissan, Misc. Auto Shows, Specialty

If you lined up all the taxis in New York, they'd stretch all the way from Wall Street to Norwalk, Connecticut. They shuttle some 236 million passengers around the city every year - about 600,000 every day - and in the process, they travel the equivalent of 20,000 times around the world every year. Those are staggering numbers, to be sure, so when the city's taxi and limousine department put out the tender for its "Taxi of Tomorrow," it was an ambitious - and important - project.

Nissan's NV200 bid ended up getting the contract (although other manufacturers have since gained approval as well. We've already seen what the van-based shuttler will look like from the curb, but a taxi cab certainly isn't about exterior styling. Like a certain Arabian beggar in a Disney movie, it's what's inside that counts. And that's just what Nissan is demonstrating with a special exposition in New York.

Opening tomorrow on the pedestrian plaza across from the iconic Flatiron Building at Broadway and Fifth, Nissan's Taxi of Tomorrow Design Expo will showcase the full interior of the NV200 Taxi. The cab is accessed via sliding doors (for easier ingress and egress in the city's tight spaces), a panorama roof to let tourists enjoy the upwards view (real New Yorkers, of course, never look up), a flat floor, a large cargo area for luggage, USB charging outlet, easily cleanable surfaces and an air-filtration and climate-control system independent of the driver's.

Sounds to us like a nice place in which to cruise around the city, at least while all that stuff is still in working order. But don't take our word for it: check out the high-res images in the gallery for a closer look - including a nifty infographic on taxi usage in the city - and the details in the press release after the jump. Or if you're in the area, stop by the expo from Tuesday through Saturday of this week.

Continue reading Nissan shows New Yorkers the inside of its new taxi

Nissan shows New Yorkers the inside of its new taxi originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Non-hybrid Altima and Impala also approved as NYC taxis, but not for long

Zach Bowman — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Work, Chevrolet, Nissan

The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission has approved the Nissan Altima and Chevrolet Impala, which join the Ford Transit Connect, on the list of vehicles approved as interim taxi cabs for the Big Apple. According to USA Today, New York cab companies are permitted to purchase those models for fleet duty until the Nissan NV200 "Taxi of Tomorrow" goes on sale. The NV200 beat out competitive designs from Ford and the Turkish Karsan V1 to earn the taxi commission's nod, though the Nissan isn't set to be available until 2013 at the earliest.

In the meantime, cab companies are going to need vehicles to replace their aging fleets of Ford Crown Victoria sedans. That's where the new models come in. Once incorporated into cab company stables, they can remain until they retire, even past the 2013 arrival of the NV200. Once that date arrives, however, the Nissan Van will be the official vehicle of the New York taxi service.

Click past the break for an official press release from Nissan.

Continue reading Non-hybrid Altima and Impala also approved as NYC taxis, but not for long

Non-hybrid Altima and Impala also approved as NYC taxis, but not for long originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turkish firm Karsan pledges to build NY taxi in Brooklyn

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing

Karsan V1 New York City Taxi - Click above for high-res image gallery

Three manufacturers remain in the running to be the chosen supplier for New York's "Taxi of Tomorrow": Ford, Nissan and Turkish firm Karsan. In an informal poll conducted by the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission - the same body that will be deciding which of the three gets the milk and roses - New Yorkers chose the Karsan. Now Karsan wants to make the Commission's job even easier by promising to build its taxi in Brooklyn if it's chosen.

Previously, all three makers said they'd be building their vehicles overseas (the Transit Connect is built in Turkey, the Nissan NV200 in Japan). Perhaps sensing a huge opportunity to bring the four-year process to an end, last month Karsan turned tack and said it would build the V1 at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, in Brooklyn's waterfront Sunset Park complex, creating up to 800 jobs. It might not only be about getting ahead with the public, however: the powertrain for the Karsan V1 comes from Chrysler, in Michigan.

What the Karsan lacks in looks it makes up for in its powerplant modularity, handicapped accessibility, and expansive glass roof. Karsan has said a Sunset Park factory would cost $100 million, a pittance in light of the billion-dollar contract it's trying to win and being the yellow-cab-of-record in movies for the foreseeable future. Thanks for the tip, Julio!

Gallery: Karsan V1 New York City Taxi concept

[Source: New York Daily News]

Turkish firm Karsan pledges to build NY taxi in Brooklyn originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NYC seeks Taxi of Tomorrow; is UniCab the answer?

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 31 May 2010 16:54:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Work, Specialty, Design/Style

A couple of years have passed now since the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) announced its search for a vehicle that would replace the taxis of New York City with something that better fits the times. The TLC created a website for creative types to submit ideas for the "Taxi of Tomorrow," and one of the more interesting proposals to come in over the last couple of years is something called the UniCab.

The groundwork for NYC's Taxi of Tomorrow is quite simple:

Meets highest safety standards
Superior passenger experience
Superior driver comfort and amenities
Appropriate purchase price and ongoing maintenance and repair costs
Smaller environmental footprint (lower emissions and improved fuel economy)
Smaller physical footprint (with more usable interior room)
Compliance with appropriate Americans with Disabilities Act requirements
Iconic design that will identify the new taxi with New York City

Born out of those guidelines, the UniCab looks nothing like a traditional taxi, aside from the yellow color. The UniCab features seating for four passengers, an automated ramp for those with disabilities, an infotainment center that displays intended routes and attractions along the way and outward sight lines that allow all of the passengers to get a great view of the glorious city of New York. Though nothing more than a design sketch right now, the UniCab could change our perception of taxis in the future and make hailing a cab the hip, green thing to do. Hat tip to Zelda!

[Source: The Taxi of Tomorrow]

NYC seeks Taxi of Tomorrow; is UniCab the answer? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 May 2010 16:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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