NYC Approves Nissan As Exclusive Taxi Provider

Back in April, I mentioned that New York City had received its first Nissan NV200 prototype taxi. The taxis are like small vans and have some nice conveniences like back seat charging ports for mobile phones, and large skylights to allow passengers to look up at buildings. Nissan has received approval to be the exclusive taxi provider for New York City.

This week New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission approved regulations requiring the replacement of retiring taxicab vehicles with Nissan's NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow. The regulation sets a new standard for vehicles that operate on the streets of New York and will go into effect in October of 2013. Members of the commission expect the new taxi to significantly improve the overall fuel efficiency of the New York taxi fleet.

The exclusive agreement with Nissan begins in October 2013 and spans 10 years from that date. The new Nissan taxis use a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine designed to reduce carbon emissions and enhance fuel efficiency. The NV200 is also the first taxi to be crash tested with taxi hardware in place such as the partition.

The NV200 was also created to be wheelchair accessible. Major features for the new taxis include room for four passengers and luggage, sliding doors with a step and grab handles, a transparent roof panel, opening side windows, and independently controlled rear air-conditioning. The vehicle also has an active carbon lined headliner to help reduce odors and overhead reading lights as well as floor lighting. Charging solutions for mobile devices in the back include a pair of USB ports and a 12 V electrical outlet. The vehicle also includes a 150,000-mile powertrain warranty. The MSRP of the vehicle with all standard features is $29,700.