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Crazier Examples of What New York City's "Taxi of Tomorrow" Could Have Been

Steven M. Johnson's concepts take cold, harsh reality into consideration

By Rain Noe - October 23, 2015

in Cars | Cartoons

It's already been two years since Nissan's NV200, aka the "Taxi of Tomorrow," was meant to begin replacing New York City's fleet. But uptake has apparently been slow, and I have yet to see the Gotham's streets awash in them.

Maybe New York made a mistake in choosing the NV200. Maybe they'd have been better off taking a look at cartoonist/inventor Steven M. Johnson—the guy who did these wacky auto concepts—and his unsolicited ideas for the Taxi of Tomorrow competition, which seem to take actual reality into account. His work is below (captions his).

We all know what everyone's NYC cabbie fantasy is. Why not enable it?

AGGRESSIVE TAXI: With a narrow front end and a whole body bumper, it means business!

AGGRESSIVE TAXI: On the street, it engages in brutal acts of pushing and crowding.

Miss the Crown Victorias, but like the convenience of the NV200s? In Johnson's world, you could have it both ways:

TRUNCATE: This design shows a taxi that is only one step from being a Crown Victoria.

TRUNCATE: When the roof trunk is lowered, the taxi looks like a passenger sedan.

Taxis made for economic realities:

PAY WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD: Poverty stalks New York City, as elsewhere! The poor are willing to stand, as on a train or bus.

Sometimes the drivers are so bad, maybe it would be better not to be able to see the road from the passenger seats. And we could save some space to boot.