Models last night handed out prepaid credit cards to New Yorkers worth a free cab ride in the city as a way of advertising Nissan's entry into the taxi business.
The canary yellow cab -- a converted Nissan NV200 commercial van -- is being hawked in billboards around the New York auto show, and the only existing model of the van sits prominently on Nissan's display at the show, even though it will not appear on the streets until October 2013.
Why all the hoopla?
Three reasons, according to Nissan Motor Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn:
First, New York is only the beginning.
"Eventually, we'll see it in other markets in the world," he says. The company has received queries on the cab from cities in China, India and Britain.
Second, the so-called "Taxi of Tomorrow" will serve as a rolling advertisement for the Nissan brand for millions of New Yorkers and tourists, Ghosn says, showing off Nissan as a technology innovator.
"Six hundred thousand people a day will experience it," Ghosn says.
Among the cab's innovations: interiors made of anti-bacterial materials that neutralize odors and germs; large roof skylights to let visitors gaze at the city skyline while in traffic; rear-seat reading lights; plug-in jacks to recharge cell phones; separate passenger air conditioner controls; a driver-to-passenger intercom system; and an embedded radio-transmission feature that helps hearing-impaired passengers hear the driver.
The taxi also will come as a battery-powered electric vehicle, giving Nissan still more exposure as a maker of electric cars.
"In my opinion, the EV will be the dominant version of the taxi," Ghosn conjectured. "It's quieter, and that will be attractive."Automobile News
Showing posts with label Nissan Motor Co. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nissan Motor Co. Show all posts
Friday, 6 April 2012
In a yellow taxi Nissan sees gold
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Plan to get Infiniti in India by Nissan
"The market for luxury in India is growing and the company is looking at ways to enter. Infiniti is our global brand and our intention is to cover the world, including India," Andy Palmer, V-P at Nissan Motor Co, said.
Nissan is deciding to assemble the brand in India, rather than importing the cars as completely-built units (CBUs). "We will have to compete with manufacturers like Mercedes Benz and BMW, which are producing somewhat locally. If we get the cars as CBUs, they will become very expensive due to the high import duty." However, Palmer added that the cars will not be launched immediately, as India changed its car assembly regulations, mandating higher local content.
Even though there is a slowdown in the economy, sales of luxury cars have been riding high in India on a lower base and increasing wealth. Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Jaguar Land Rover have been boosting their presence and production in the market, estimated at around 30,000 units annually.
Palmer said Infiniti is on a growth trajectory in markets where it currently sells. "We are busy with Infiniti. We currently sell around 1,50,000 units worldwide and plan to grow this to 5,00,000 units. We are launching the brand in many different countries, though we are yet to find a solution for India." Toyota has already decided to launch the Lexus in India and is now working out launch details and the relevant models that it will launch.
Palmer said the company is keen to increase its visibility and market share. "This is an extremely important market for us. Our expectation, as with any other market, is that it will be 8% market share for us in the mid-term which runs through to 2016," he said. The company produces cars at a factory near Chennai, where alliance partner Renault also makes its models. Its product portfolio includes the Micra mini car that is also a major export model, apart from the Sunny sedan.Automobile News
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