New York picks new taxi: Nissan cab is the big winner

[onehandle]

Source: New York Daily News

The Daily News reported last week that the Nissan bid received the highest score in the competition based on design features like interior legroom and durability.

Bloomberg and Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman David Yassky in November revealed that Nissan was among three finalists in the competition, along with Ford and Turkish carmaker Karsan.

At the time, officials said the winner would get a 10-year contract giving them exclusive right to make and sell yellow cabs to city hacks and fleet owners.

The choice is bound to be controversial. While there are 13,200 yellow cabs, only about 240 are handicapped accessible. Advocates saw the competition as an opportunity to increase the mobility for the estimated 50,000 wheelchair users in the city, along with many others who have difficult walking.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_localnyc/20110503/ts_yblog_localnyc/new-york-picks-new-taxi-nissan-cab-is-the-big-winner

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WTF? In a mass buy, you should buy American, assholes.

[sharesunited]

1. Test drive a Cube and then say that!

[AtheistCrusader]

6. Probably made in Tennessee too.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. Looks like a Quest.

The vehicle assembly plant in Canton, Mississippi, began producing vehicles in May 2003. The $1.4 billion plant now produces the Nissan Altima, Nissan Quest, Nissan Armada, Nissan Titan and Infiniti QX56. The plant has an annual production capacity of 400,000 vehicles.

[Auggie]

3. So, it's possibly assembled in the U.S.?

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. But only possibly...

NY Daily News back in November:

None of the finalist companies would assemble their vehicles in the United States, officials said. Ford would build its version in Turkey as would Karsan, which manufactures Peugeot and other well-known brands, officials said.

[Auggie]

9. Bad call, N.Y...

[onehandle]

5. Many foreign vehicles are assembled here, but it should have had an American logo. nt

[nonperson]

7. Particularly since certain southern senators subsidized foreign car makers

To build plants in their states.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2008/12/14/2008-12-14_republicans_subsidize_foreign_auto_maker.html

Republicans subsidize foreign auto makers, but leave Detroit hanging

Errol Louis

Wednesday, December 17th 2008, 10:16 AM

"The group of Republican senators whose procedural votes doomed the auto industry bailout bill perfectly illustrates the narrow, "America Last" politics that is crippling efforts to revive the U.S. economy.

The proposed $14 billion in short-term loans for General Motors and Chrysler were supported by a truckload of industry leaders and economists, along with President Bush, President-elect Barack Obama and majorities in the House and Senate.

All agreed that a loan would be better than bankruptcy, which could put as many as 3 million people (and 40,000 of them in New York alone) out of work.

But a clique of Republican senators blocked the bailout, which required 60 votes rather than a simple majority. And they did it for the worst possible reasons."

GOP Sensators Bob Corker (Tenn.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and South Carolina’s DeMint among others.

http://washingtonindependent.com/22236/cars

[liberation]

10. Would you prefer an American logo on a foreign made car?

[tomm2thumbs]

8. Karsan had some interesting features

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd8IK-Bzw1g

access for wheelchairs on either side of the vehicle especially - hope they are able to make this option available in whatever model finally hits the road

[AtheistCrusader]

11. SHould have gone with some of these.