New New York taxi

[Gob]

Japanese design, made in Mexico, I'm sure that will not ruffle any feathers...

Japan's Nissan Motor has won a contract to provide the next generation of New York's famous yellow taxis.
The deal, which is estimated to be worth $1bn (£607m) was announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The design will be based on Nissan's NV200 minivan model.

The van, which beat US carmaker Ford Motor and Turkish manufacturer Karsan Otomotiv for the 10-year contract, will be phased in starting in 2013.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg acknowledged the Nissan NV200's boxy form evokes suburbia, but he said the yellow paint would give it the iconic New York touch.

The vehicle features an overhead window to offer views of city skyscrapers, and charging stations for mobile phones.

"For the first time, we'll have a taxicab that wasn't 'off the rack', but rather custom-tailored to create the best fit for the drivers, owners and passengers of our city," Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky said.

"People are going to fall in love with this taxi once they ride in it. It is going to represent New York City well."

The car will also feature satellite navigation, so passengers leaving the main Manhattan corridors will not have to contend with drivers who do not know their way around.

The Nissan was the most fuel-efficient and the cheapest of the three finalists, at about $29,000 (£17,608) per vehicle.

By 2017, Nissan will be able to manufacture the cars to run solely on electricity, New York City Hall said in a statement.

The bulk of the current fleet are Ford Crown Victorias, a car which only does about 12 miles per gallon, compared with 25 miles per gallon for the Nissan NV200.

New York's 13,000 yellow cabs carry about 600,000 passengers a day, and are the only vehicles permitted to pick up passengers off the street.

The NV200, which will be built in Nissan plants in Mexico, is the first to be designed specifically for use as a New York City taxi.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13276404

[Scooter]

The Nissan was the most fuel-efficient and the cheapest of the three finalists, at about $29,000 (£17,608) per vehicle.

If any feathers are ruffled someone should tell domestic automakers to do a better job at bidding for contracts.

[dales]

[Crackpot]

The Nissan was the most fuel-efficient and the cheapest of the three finalists, at about $29,000 (£17,608) per vehicle.

If any feathers are ruffled someone should tell domestic automakers to do a better job at bidding for contracts.

THat comment assumes alot of facts not in evidence.

[Scooter]

Such as?

[Crackpot]

There are not enough details to make the decision if the issue was a bidding problem or not. The article doesnt say all that much other than it's the cheapest and the most fuel effiecient. the suffix "est" implies most but not the differential for all we know the price difference could be the difference in paying for 1st world labor and 3rd world labor. (the only Issue I'd take potential issue with be it a forigen or domestic producer)

New York picked the maker who they felt best fit thier needs based in part on cost and fuel efficency we do not know the differential of those factors or any of the myriad of other factors (upkeep, durability, etc..) that make this a good decision or not and we certainly don't know by any stretch of the imagination how good or bad the domestic bids were according to thier own bottom line. After all I'm sure you know that if you're not making money on the deal it makes no sense to make it in the first place.

[dgs49]

It was an open competition, not unlike what the military services do when they want a new plane.

Manufacturing in the U.S. and/or North America was a consideration, but not determinative (obviously).

From all indications, the best bidder won. As did the cabbies and the people who will travel in those taxis.

In the rest of the country, I think the most desirable cabs are the ones that are Chysler minivans, which are ubiquitous.

[Crackpot]

Actually indications say very little since we know nothing about the features of the other vehicles.

All indications say the "cheapest" and most fuel efficient vehivle won.

[Scooter]

There are not enough details to make the decision if the issue was a bidding problem or not.

The issue was that no North American maker was able to compete on price and fuel efficiency, so if people are going to bitch about the contract going to a foreign automaker, they should know whose fault it is.

[Crackpot]

If that was ALL they were looking for than sure but in reality that shouldn't be all that was on the table.

There is safty, capacity, roomines, storage room (the bigger the vehicle effects fuel efficency) features, (of which we only know the winners) Parts, Warranty and Service contracts. (impacts cost) Just to name a few.

This could be the best deal ever or a classic example of "knowing the cost but not the value"

All this article does is give just enough information to let ones prejudices fill in the blanks.

[Scooter]

They may have been looking for all sorts of things. And whatever the mix of factors in consideration, no domestic manufacturer was able to measure up.

But clearly there are going to be people bitching about the contract going to a furrin automaker, rather than asking why no domestic manufacturer was able to provide a vehicle of better value (however that was defined for this purpose).

[Crackpot]

My point is we don't know either way because the details of the other vehicles are unknown. Would you have the same attitude if the only reason Ford lost was the difference in the price of labor between a Canadian auto worker and a Mexican auto worker?

If it were I'd find that to be a legitimate gripe. THe very fact that Ford made it to the final 3 said they had a viable design at a realistic price so they can and did complete. All we know is they ultimately decided on Price and Fuel efficiency. So be it. Was it objectively the right decision? We simply do not have enough information.

[Scooter]

Would you have the same attitude if the only reason Ford lost was the difference in the price of labor between a Canadian auto worker and a Mexican auto worker?

If public dollars were being spent to purchase the cars made in Canada even though they cost more, it would amount to a government subsidy of the Canadian auto industry, which is the sort of thing we are always criticizing other countries for.

[Crackpot]

Even when you're dealing with situations where the workers aren't on an even playing field?

[Scooter]

I don't know that they aren't. Just because Mexican auto workers are paid less than Canadian autoworkers, that doesn't automatically equate to experiencing a lower standard of living, since the cost of living is lower in Mexico. I would imagine that auto industry jobs are as much sought after in Mexico as they are in Canada, for the same reason - that they pay relatively well in comparison to other jobs requiring the same skill sets.

[Crackpot]

Yeah I'm not too sure about the diffrences at the moment. I no on the design side they still tend to (in quality at least) lag but I'm not sure about the quality pay grade and workers rights in Mexico anymore.

But that is besides the point.

The fact that a domestic Automaker made it to the final cut is in itself evidence that the domestic automakers can make a competitive bid.

all else is speculation.

[Gob]

Has anyone thought of looking up more detail? I'm sure there's some out there somewhere...

[Crackpot]

not while at work no

[Crackpot]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/201 ... inner.html

This one adds some info on the other finalists

[Scooter]

There are tidbits here and there in a lot of different articles, but here was one reason the Nissan was selected over Ford:

The Transit Connect didn't make the cut this time, though. One reason, according to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was that Ford refused to crash test the Transit connect with all the taxi equipment, including the plastic partition separating the driver and passengers, in place.

Nissan agreed to that and even proposed special passenger airbags for its vehicle.

Related to that:

The NV200 is the first cab to pass federal crash testing with the taxi partition and taxi equipment installed.

And as far as domestic sourcing goes:

Ford planned to build its taxis in Turkey