New Yorkers had better get used to riding in vans. A Manhattan judge ruled this week that the City can go ahead with its plan to require all taxi drivers to select the Nissan NV200, dubbed the "Taxi of Tomorrow," as their next new car.
In May 2011, Nissan won an exclusive 10-year contract to supply taxis to the city, worth around $1 billion. Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg pushed the sole provider plan as a way to leverage the industry's purchasing power--there are over 13,000 cabs on NYC streets--to get better vehicles for better prices.
Thanks to features like passenger airbags (a first for a taxi), USB ports and 12-volt outlets, and a panoramic roof, the NV200 beat out two finalists for the contract: a modified version of Ford's Transit Connect and the Turkish Karsan V1, both vans.
The glory of winning didn't last. In October 2013, New York Supreme Court Justice Shlomo Hagler ruled the city didn't have the authority to mandate all taxi drivers choose the Nissan. This week's decision overruled that finding, calling the mandate "legally appropriate."
The NV200 was also criticized because it's not wheelchair accessible (it can be retrofitted) and it's not a hybrid. City law requires at least one hybrid vehicle be available as a taxi, so the deal has been tweaked to allow medallion owners to buy other vehicles until Nissan develops a hybrid version of the NV200.
Putting aside the legal debate over whether it's fair to force cab drivers to buy a specific model car, and the question of what happens when Nissan needs to do a major recall to fix something, the NV200 is a pretty sweet upgrade to the New York's current flock of taxis. Here's a list of reasons to be happy about the new rule:
- It's big, yes, but it's skinny. The NV200 is nearly a foot narrower than the Crown Victorias still bouncing through New York's potholes.
- It's rated for 23 mpg in the city, though one cab driver reports closer to 21. Either number's a lot better than the Vic's 12 mpg.
- The back row, with room for three, isn't luxurious, but it's plenty comfortable for a short ride. And it's covered in antimicrobial vinyl, so it's less likely to give you the plague.
- The upside of having only two rows is that there's more room for luggage, both in the trunk and on the floor in front of the passengers' legs. Total interior space adds up to 138 cubic feet, enough to throw a Smart car in there (if you take out the second row).
- When it's vacant, the rear lights actually read "Vacant," good news for tourists who can never tell when a taxi is available.
- The back seat has its own climate controls, so passengers don't have to ask the driver to turn up the AC.
- Nissan stuffed the headliner with carbon to absorb unseemly odors.
- There are two USB ports and two 12-volt outlets, so each passenger can charge their phone while riding.
- The panoramic roof brings in light and allows jaded New Yorkers to gawk at the skyline without being mocked by other jaded New Yorkers.
You may not like the fact the New York's cabbies are losing the right to choose their vehicles, or be annoyed that the non-hybrid NV200 is poisoning the atmosphere. But there are plenty of reasons to be happy the Nissan van will be all over the city. If you're not convinced, grab an Uber. Or take the subway like a real New Yorker.
