Japanese automaker Nissan has beat out American icon Ford Motor Company and a relatively small unknown from Turkey called Karsan Otomotiv Sanayii Ve Ticaret AS for the 10-year contract to supply New York City yellow cabs. Instead of the old Ford Crown Victorias most of us see screaming about on the jammed streets of NYC in movies. The deal represents a total of 13 000 vehicles to be presented from late 2013.
The three finalists presented their cars to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC). Nissan went with the NV200, an MPV made in China, while Ford presented its Transit Connect and Karsan had a car called the V-1. Both Ford’s and Karsan’s cars are produced out of factories in Turkey.
“Nissan is proud to provide the next generation of taxis for the City of New York,” said Nissan North America chairman Carlos Tavares. “The NV200 taxi will give Nissan the opportunity to showcase our dedication to vehicle quality and urban mobility to more than 600 000 passengers every day.”
The NV200, which is not sold in Mzansi, features a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine, two sliding doors with an entry stepper, space for four passengers, air conditioning and a shady glass roof. An electric version has not been ruled out for later years. Nissan will supply up to 6 units of the full-electric 2011 WCOTY LEAF to the city for testing purposes, to see how it stacks up against strains brought on by heavy traffic and other stresses.
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