Already a hit on the streets of London, the “Taxi of Tomorrow” continues to make headlines – this time in the Big Apple. The little minivan is now New York’s official taxi. That said, Nissan will be facing a new challenge this time round, according to the New York Times.
In a busy metropolis known for its yellow cabs that usually come in the form of a Ford Crown Victoria, the Nissan NV200 will face an uphill challenge in getting taxi drivers to switch from their ageing taxis over to the yellow minivan. More drivers are reportedly going with ridesharing app Uber.
At this moment in time, only 750 NV200 taxis roam the New York streets, out of a total 13,000 cabs. However, the number should be moving up the scale fast as 3,000 cab drivers normally replace their vehicles annually. Some 80% of taxis in NYC are expected to be Nissan NV200s, with the remaining being hybrids or wheelchair-accessible models.
Passengers in NYC who have sat in the NV200 have been reportedly
deeply impressed by the transparent roof panels and the availability of
USB charging ports for their mobile devices. However, some felt that the
NV200 did not have enough headroom, was “ugly” and ruined the
“stereotypical image” of New York’s iconic yellow cabs. As for the drivers themselves, overall feedback has been positive, with some complimenting the ergonomic seats. That’s not to say that there have not been negative feedback though. The wheelchair-accessible feature in some of the NV200s are reported to be adding on too much weight – leading to worn out tyres.
