The company intends to build a factory in the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which will create up to 800 new jobs.
"Karsan is unconditionally committed to producing the 'Taxi of Tomorrow' at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal," Bill Wachtel, Karsan USA President, pledged last month in a letter to David Yassky, chairman of the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
When the three finalists were announced in November, every one of them stated that they would build the model overseas, but it seems that the Turkish manufacturer has changed its mind.
Karsan’s rivals in the competition to produce the “Taxi of Tomorrow” are Ford and Nissan, who probably didn’t made a similar pledge.
The "Taxi of Tomorrow" project was launched four years ago, in order to select an iconic taxi that is at the same time comfortable and fuel-efficient. The winner of the competition will replace the 16 models currently authorized. New York’s iconic taxi, the Crown Victoria, will be withdrawn from service by Ford.
"The number of jobs that would be created at the outset is in the range of two to three hundred, and could quickly grow to as many as 800," Wachtel wrote.
The Karsan cab is named the “V1” and it has some interesting features like see-through glass roof, which provides a good view of the sky and skyscrapers, and ramps that extend automatically to the street or sidewalk to enable wheelchair users to have access to the cab.
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