The future of the New York City taxi fleet doesn't look like the gargantuan Ford Crown Victorias prowling the city's streets today.
The city Monday named three finalists in its search for the next standard yellow taxi. Only one—Ford Motor Co.'s Transit Connect van—is on sale in the U.S. Another—a small van made by Nissan Motor Co.—is only available in Europe, while the third finalist, from a Turkish company, doesn't exist at all yet.
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Karsan
The Karsan taxi, above, competes with Nissan and Ford entries.
The city is seeking to start replacing the current hodgepodge of vehicles with a single model by fall 2014. Ford is taking its Crown Vic—long the workhorse of the city's taxi fleet—out of production this year. To replace it, the city has launched an ambitious plan never before tried in New York. It had automakers compete to provide a vehicle that met taxi specifications drawn up by the city. Current taxis are consumer vehicles with aftermarket upgrades made at dealerships and garages.
For the auto industry, which produces millions of vehicles annually, the city's taxi fleet is small potatoes. There are just over 13,000 yellow cabs on city streets. About a fifth of the fleet turns over every year. Meanwhile, Ford sold 49,000 F-Series pickup trucks in October alone.
But the New York City taxi has an outsize importance in popular culture. Both the iconic checker cab and the Crown Victoria made countless appearances in movies and television. And other cities will likely look at New York's experience as they plan for their taxi fleet.
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Taxi and Limousine Commission
Nissan's version of NYC's future taxis.
Seven companies responded to a city request for proposals for the new taxis issued last year. Three didn't make the cut because the city wasn't confident they'd be able to deliver what they promised, Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky said Monday. A proposal from General Motors Co. was rejected because it wasn't as comfortable, efficient or accessible to people with disabilities as the other finalists, Mr. Yassky said.
Those that made the cut have a few things in common. They're bigger and boxier than sedans. They look more like small vans used by a painter or a baker than something a family might park in its driveway. They can fit more luggage than most of the cabs currently on city streets. Some have chargers for cellular phones and laptops.
One finalist, proposed by Turkish automaker Karsan, is even more different. It has a glass roof (so tourists can see the skyscrapers, the company said), seating for five and a fold-out wheelchair ramp. It's the only finalist that is wheelchair-accessible. Karsan designed it specifically in response to New York's request for proposals. The other two entrants, from Nissan and Ford, would use vehicles the company already makes.
A few groups criticized the city's plans. The Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade—-which represents large fleet owners—and the Taxi Workers Alliance--which represents drivers—both expressed concern about giving exclusive rights to build city cabs to one company.
The companies picked as finalists have a month to answer the city's comments about their vehicles. Then the city will decide whether to give one of them a 10-year contract to be the exclusive provider of New York City yellow cabs—guaranteeing total sales of about 26,000 vehicles over that period. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned Monday that officials could decide that none of the submissions measure up and issue a new request for proposals or continue approving a mix of consumer vehicles.
The city is also soliciting feedback from taxi passengers. It's introducing a new video featuring Mr. Yassky that will play in the back of yellow taxis that urges riders to go to a website and take a survey about what they'd like to see in the next city cab.
"Hi, it's me again," a smiling Mr. Yassky says in the video, before introducing himself and asking whether riders would trade less leg room for a more fuel-efficient cab.
New Yorkers will likely get well-acquainted with Mr. Yassky—a one-time candidate for city comptroller who has been mentioned as a future contender for citywide office—in coming months through the video. Unlike the rest of the programming on the taxi screens, there won't be an off switch for Mr. Yassky.
Write to Andrew Grossman at andrew.grossman@wsj.com
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