All hail the new New York City cab
Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled New York’s new taxi model yesterday, choosing the Nissan prototype pictured at right. This is what the city’s entire fleet will look like in future years.
The mayor preferred Nissan, but it was not the people’s choice. In a “Taxi of Tomorrow” competition led by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, Turkish carmaker Karsan’s model was voted the most popular out of 23,000 votes.
Last month, the carmaker even promised to built its fleet in Brooklyn, bringing much-needed jobs and industry to the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
Politicians have railed against the mayor’s decision, saying Bloomberg missed an opportunity to create jobs. That’s a huge oversight in a city where there is 8.9 percent unemployment, said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
The Nissan NV200 will be built in Mexico, and the “taxification” of the vehicle will be done in New York, such as adding the partitions and installing the cab light on top.
The mayor defended his choice, saying he doubted Karsan’s ability to deliver the vehicles.
“The Karsan plan was just not practical,” said Bloomberg.
Bloomberg touted NV200’s low cost and energy technology as major factors. Each model costs approximately $29,000 — and by 2017, there could be an entire fleet of electric-powered vehicles.
Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter at @EmilyatMetro.
