the new NYC taxi

the city just awarded the contract for 13,000 taxis to nissan, and they should appear sometime in 2013.

The NV200 will be manufactured in Mexico and converted for taxi duty at a yet to be determined facility in the New York metropolitan area. The price is expected to be approximately $29,000. In stark contrast to the gas-guzzling, V8-powered Crown Victoria, the NV200 will run on a fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine and get 25 miles per gallon.

Nissan says its taxi will have room for four passengers, a transparent roof for sightseeing, 12V and USB charging outlets for mobile electronic devices and a grape phenol-coated air filter to keep things fresh in the cabin. The NV200 also will be the first taxi to be crash tested with all equipment installed, including the security partition, and will be equipped with front and rear side curtain airbags. (via)

there's a bit of a scuttlebutt, as the model will not be built in the US (none of the 3 finalists would've been). i think its ugly, and am a little appalled that they didn't select an american-made hybrid or electric. seems like this would've been a great opportunity for local or at least domestic job-creation. oh well. ;(