'Taxi of Tomorrow' is finally reality in New York

The Nissan NV200 has had quite a rough ride to becoming New York City's Taxi of Tomorrow. The vans actually went on sale in late 2013, but Nissan's $1 billion deal to be the Big Apple's exclusive cab has faced an ongoing fight with drivers and politicians there. However, the roadblocks have been cleared, and the yellow vans finally became the city's official taxi on September 1.

New Yorkers might not notice the change anytime soon, though. According to The New York Times, there are currently about 750 NV200s servicing the city out of 13,000 yellow cabs. The number of vans should rise quickly because up to 3,000 drivers replace their well-worn vehicles each year. Eventually the Taxi of Tomorrow will make up about 80 percent of the fleet, while the rest will be hybrid or wheelchair-accessible models.

The challenge against the van largely focused on forcing most drivers into just a single model. At times the court agreed that the monopoly was unfair. The deal was even rendered void at one point. According to The New York Times, it took a decision in June to finally grant permission for the full NV200 agreement.

The challenges to the NV200's large-scale adoption aren't over yet, though because the introduction comes at a challenging time for the New York taxi industry. Ridesharing apps, particularly Uber, are luring both riders and some yellow cab drivers to the tech company. While the Taxi of Tomorrow offers amenities like a panoramic sunroof and a cellphone charging, there are reportedly more Uber cars than traditional taxis currently at work in the Big Apple. Featured GalleryNissan NV200 Taxi of Tomorrow Source