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Nissan reinvents London's black cab again, will launch all-electric model in 2015
When Nissan introduced us to its modern interpretation of London's black cab more than a year ago, the compact diesel was all but ready to hit the city's streets. However, the Japanese automaker decided it wasn't quite finished with its final design, so it headed back to its London studios with feedback from the London Mayor's office to make it little more, well, iconic. Earlier today, Nissan unveiled the updated version of its NV200 Taxi for London, highlighting its new round headlights and a re-modelled grille in an attempt to mirror the black cabs of old. The new model also ditches diesel for a cleaner 1.6-liter petrol engine and uses LED lights to improve visibility of its orange-lit taxi sign. Nissan says the petrol-engine NV200 will go on sale in December, serving as a key "stepping stone" for zero emission electric version, which could become the capital's first all-electric taxi in 2015.
New York City, meet your new official taxi: the Nissan NV200
Back in May, Nissan unveiled its NV200 van as New York City's "Taxi of Tomorrow" in a joint press conference with Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Today, NYC's Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) made the pact official, signing regulations that will replace the city's iconic line of Crown Victorias (and myriad other cabs) with the NV200 beginning in October 2013. As Nissan puts it, today's signing, "officially makes the NV200 the taxicab of New York City." The NV200 van beat out competition from the likes of Ford to take New York City's coveted "Taxi of Tomorrow" award months ago. When Engadget EIC (and gearhead) Tim Stevens explored the NV200 at the New York Auto Show, he called it "a huge advance" over existing taxi stock. And hey, with all those amenities, we can't disagree. Most exciting for commuters: Nissan's NV200 taxi features separate climate controls for passengers, as well as USB slots for mobile charging. "Taxi of Tomorrow" indeed!
Nissan's e-NV200 all-electric van earmarked for a London taxi makeover
Buried within an announcement from Nissan about its NV200 diesel compact van hitting the London streets, the company has also outed its plans to trial the all-electric variant for ferrying people around the city. The e-NV200 went from concept to reality earlier this year, shortly after the diesel version got a New York paint job and was branded the "Taxi of Tomorrow." The NV200 has satisfied all legal requirements and is set to challenge the iconic London black cab with its lower emissions, greater efficiency and, of course, competitive pricing. The e-NV200 prototype (not to be confused with the soon-to-be certified diesel version) is scheduled for testing in London during 2013. However, Nissan does note that rolling out the EV would only be realistic if there's "increasing investment in charging infrastructure" across the capital. [Image Credit: Auto Express]
Nissan NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow hands-on (video)
It is, admittedly, difficult to get too excited about a ride in a taxi. Taxis tend to smell, their drivers tend to be rather abrupt in their piloting style and there's a good chance you won't be able to find one when you really need it. Nissan's "Taxi of Tomorrow," then, is hardly the most alluring concept car on display at the New York International Auto Show, but it is, however, the one you're most likely to actually get to take a ride in. It's also a huge advance compared to the rather tired 'ol Crown Vic. Join us after the break for an exploration of why.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Cities of the future, the Aqua Star, and 0-60 in 3.4 seconds... with a go-kart
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. What will the high-tech city of the future look like? This week Inhabitat brought you a sneak peek as we took an exclusive look inside Abu Dhabi's carbon-neutral Masdar City, which just opened for business. We also brought you brand new photos of the world's largest wooden structure, and we spotted several innovative solar-powered buildings - Sweden's rotating photovoltaic cog building and a self-sustaining pod home that can be perched on any roof. Green transportation also took off with a blast this week as the Linde E1 Electric Go-Kart set a Guinness World Record by traveling from 0-60 in 3.4 seconds and Synergy's folded-wing glider plane announced plans to compete in the CAFE Green Flight Challenge. We also saw greener vehicles gear up around the world as France announced plans to deploy a fleet of all-electric garbage trucks next week and Nissan unveiled the NV200 -- New York City's taxi of tomorrow. And for those looking for an underwater escape this summer, don't miss out on the Aqua Star - a submersible electric scooter capable of charting the ocean depths. In other news, this week we showcased several high-tech concept gadgets made from paper - an origami cell phone that folds into a flat piece of cardboard and the world's first interactive paper computer. We also brought you a sensor glove that could help stroke patients recover through gaming, and we covered a clutch of wired home furnishings that bring new meaning to the term geek chic -- from an interweb chaise made from 1,100 feet of coaxial cable to an analog cassette tape chair, to a modern computer mouse made from fine wool felt.
