Next Stop, London!

We previously reported that the NV200, familiar in Japan as a Nissan commercial van (known as the Vanette in Japan), would be operating as a taxi in New York's Manhattan.officially adopted as the "Yellow Cab"However, we've now received news that the same NV200 may also be adopted as London's taxi, commonly known as the "Black Cab," for use on the streets of London.

Nissan plans to deploy two types of NV200 for demonstration runs in London starting in 2013: one equipped with a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine and an electric vehicle based on the "e-NV200."

The diesel engine complies with Europe's "Euro 5" emission standards, producing a maximum output of 89ps and a peak torque of 240Nm. With a fuel economy of 53.3 mpg (miles per gallon), this translates to approximately 18-19 km per liter. The current London taxi, the "TX4," achieves 35.3 mpg, indicating a significant advantage in fuel efficiency.

CO2 emissions are also favorable at 139g/km, despite the vehicle's large wagon body. Furthermore, the electric NV200 taxi is expected to operate at approximately one-fifth the cost of the current TX4 London taxi.



The passenger cabin offers ample space, similar to the New York Yellow Cab specification. It features a three-seater rear bench seat that can slide forward and back, and two foldable seats are installed on the partition at the front of the cabin, allowing passengers to face each other, for a total capacity of five people.

The passenger cabin ceiling is a large glass roof, creating a bright and open interior space, which should be a welcome feature for tourists. The front space accommodates only the driver's seat; the area where the passenger seat would normally be is used for luggage storage.

The rear doors for entry and exit are sliding doors, just like the base vehicle. In addition to facilitating easy boarding and alighting, this is expected to reduce the risk of collisions with pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles, which can occur with the swing doors common in current taxis.

Maneuverability in narrow city streets has also been considered. By adopting a special hub in the front, the steering angle has been significantly increased. While the normal NV200 has a minimum turning radius of 5.2 meters, this version achieves an astonishing 3.8 meters, surpassing even Japanese Kei cars. To accommodate this mechanism within the body, wide overfenders have been fitted. The standard NV200 has a width of 1695mm, but this London taxi specification is 1890mm wide due to the nearly 200mm increase from the fenders.



As the 2013 launch is for a demonstration run, vehicle selection is still ongoing, and the NV200 has not yet been officially decided as the London Taxi. However, the NV200 already has the proven track record of being officially adopted as the New York Yellow Cab, and according to Nissan's announcement, it is priced attractively below the current London taxi "TX4," making it a strong contender without a doubt.

We look forward to the future where the Japanese-made "NV200," overcoming its rivals, will proudly navigate the historic streets of London as its taxi.