NISSAN NV200 MOBILITY TAXI

Tangent Design Group worked in conjunction with BraunAbility, the Indiana-based market leader in wheelchair accessible vehicles and Nissan Motors to rethink, design, and engineer a wheelchair friendly taxi of tomorrow. The Nissan NV200 Mobility Taxi features a rear-entry ramp which eliminates the need for wheelchair users to cross traffic in order to enter or exit the vehicle. The taxi also features an industry-first integrated restraint system providing a safe and quick securement of passengers in wheelchairs.

The Nissan Mobility Taxi looks like and functions like a standard taxi until the mobility functionality is needed. After pulling into a safe space at the curb, the taxi operator flips down the 2nd row seat back and pulls a release handle to tumble the seat forward. Next, after opening the wide rear doors, the operator pulls the fold-flat wheelchair ramp out and unfolds it and then loads the passenger. The wheelchair is secured with front and rear tie-down belts and the passenger is fitted with the lap and shoulder belt. Once the passenger is in place, the ramp folds up and stows in a vertical position. The steps are reversed for exiting the NV200 once the final destination is reached. Then the operator stows the ramp and returns the second row seat to its normal position.

Photos courtesy of Nissan Motors