Taxi of Tomorrow Hits New York City Streets

"Nissan was offering rides, not drives, in its NV200 taxi, which still showed a few signs of being a work in progress," writes Jim Motavalli. "Only one of the rear passenger doors had a sliding window (which rattled when open), and some finishing touches had not yet been completed."

"In a 15-minute ride in the van, some of the taxi’s advantages were apparent. It had limousine-grade legroom, a big roof window to help passengers see the city and separate climate controls for passengers. A handy step emerged when either sliding door was opened. The cabin featured a full-length divider window incorporating a pass-through for payments, as well as a natural-sounding intercom system similar to those in London cabs. The passenger compartment had cup holders, as well as USB ports for recharging cellphones and other devices."