The first impression of a city is often formed in the cab ride in, a point that is not lost on New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Under his leadership, the city will be getting a new fleet of taxis. Unveiled last Tuesday, the “Taxi of Tomorrow”, is a new Nissan NV200 van, which won a competition to replace the yellow cabs. It has been ‘pimped out’ with the latest digital technologies for web surfacing and charging devices and features has a moon roof, overhead lamps, and antibacterial upholstery. The new vehicle is not hybrid, although electric vehicles are expected to be phased in later. The City’s contract with Nissan, which is estimated at more than $1 billion, will last 10 years. The new cabs will on the streets starting next year and will fully replace the existing yellow cabs by 2018.
