ER Smogs

On September 15, 2011, Ford produced the final Crown Victoria, ending the car’s dominance over the cab and police markets. Drivers have tried to fill this gap with vehicles ranging from hybrids to minivans, but thanks to the efforts of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission, the NV200 may become the new taxi standard.
The commission’s Taxi of Tomorrow Competition was set up to find a new vehicle that could better serve customers while reducing environmental impact and running costs. Last May, the commission announced Nissan’s NV 200 was the victor, beating out Ford’s Transit Connect and Turkish commercial vehicle specialist Karsan’s V1. The prize is a 10 year contract for the city’s taxis, currently a fleet of 13,000 vehicles covering 500 million miles per year.

The taxi version of this commercial van has several new features which put it ahead of the competition:

• Space for four passengers and their luggage
• A flat floor, sliding doors, entry steps, and grab handles for easy entrance and exit from the vehicle
• Curtain airbags for front and rear passenger seats, and forward-mounted airbags for front row seats
• USB and 12v charging ports, built into the doors to encourage passengers to remove smartphones and other devices as they exit the cab.
• Overhead reading lights
• Navigation system
• Adjustable driver’s seat that can be leaned back even if there is a partition installed

A couple other features carried over from previous NYC taxis that may not be standard for other buyers, including passenger controlled rear-seat heat and air conditioning and a rear-seat entertainment center. The NYC model also has a transparent roof that lets tourists look up at city’s skyscrapers without having to hang their heads out of the window

New York also has a rarely-enforced noise ordinance specifically prohibiting the use of a horn unless there is imminent danger. To combat this, a “low annoyance” horn is being developed for production taxis that will soften the sound while flashing a light to help officers identify an offending taxi.

The NV200 shares its platform with the Cube and its direct-injection 2.0l four cylinder is based on the design used in the Versa and Juke. Its 25 mpg fuel economy was the best in the Taxi of Tomorrow Competition, and nearly double that of the Crown Vic.

What about the rest of the country? Although the New York City version seems like an ideal replacement, there are a couple caveats:

The Prius and Escape Hybrid have had some popularity as taxis because they offer excellent fuel economy in city driving conditions while regenerative braking saves on friction brake repairs. Meanwhile, many city groups are pushing for hybrids because they dramatically cut CO2 emissions. Without a hybrid version, the NV will face stiff competition from these vehicles. However, an all-electric version planned for 2017 may help Nissan regain this market share.

The Karsan V1 made it to the finals of the Taxi of Tomorrow competition in large part because it could accommodate wheelchairs without modification; adoption would have effectively made New York’s entire fleet handicap accessible. Currently, just 240 of the city’s 13,000 taxis are required to have handicapped access, but a Federal investigation into the matter was launched shortly after the Nissan won the taxi competition. If the court decides the availability of wheelchair compatibility demonstrated by the V1 means more taxis could be handicapped accessible, NYC’s current policy would violate the Americans With Disabilities Act. This could have a national effect on taxi requirements, and without handicapped capabilities, the NV200 would automatically be excluded from part of the market.

Jennifer Dewitt is a freelance writer in her spare time, and a car insurance agent at Kanetix by day.  If you’re presently driving your own car and not sure if you’re getting competitive rates – consider comparing come Kanetix auto insurance quotes online.  The money you can save on your insurance can often amount to much more than cab fare.