9th August, 2012
After winning the race to replace the iconic Ford Crown Vic yellow cabs of New York City, Nissan is now taking on another icon, London’s black cab. The company has unveiled “a bold new vision for the future of the London black cab” called the Nissan NV200 London Taxi.
Based on the NV200 van, the cab will offer lower CO2 outputs compared to the current black cab, in line with Mayor Boris Johnson’s Air Quality strategy for London. The Mayor has joined disability groups and the influential London Taxi Drivers’ Association in welcoming the launch of the NV200 London Taxi. An all-electric e-NV200 concept is also set to undergo trials in the English capital.
The NV200 London Taxi comfortably seats five adults, three on a rear bench with two on rear-facing, fold-down seats. The front passenger seat has been removed to create space for luggage. The sliding passenger doors, besides being easy to open and close, are much safer for pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles simply because they don’t swing out.
The NV200 also delivers lower running costs. The 89 hp 1.5 dCi six-speed manual drivetrain achieves 18.9 km/l on a combined cycle, or almost 50% fuel savings over the most efficient TX4, the London Taxi Company’s current model.
“Fuel costs account for around 10% of taxi driver overheads, so over the course of a year, NV200 London Taxi drivers would spend around 50% less (about £700) on fuel than TX4 drivers,” Nissan says.
The NV200 is also expected to be competitively priced below the new TX4.