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2013 Nissan e-NV200 taxi will carry Catalunians quietly beginning next year

The Nissan e-NV200, currently in the final phases of testing with FedEx fleets in various countries, will be getting more demanding cargo next year in Barcelona when it goes into service as a taxi. Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show by Carlos Ghosn and with the mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, in attendance, the e-NV200 is the van slightly reworked into a unique design and resting on a Leaf electric powertrain.
The NV200 van is built in Barcelona, and when the electric version goes into production there next year it will begin its public beta will as part of a set of initiatives the Spanish city has for zero-emissions transportation. Nissan will be helping with the build-out of infrastructure such as charging stations, while the city elders get to work on allocating privileges and special spaces for the e-NV200 taxi drivers.
After the Catalonian debut Nissan says the electric hauler will make its way to other parts of the world. Nothing's been said yet about whether it will join our combustion-engined NV200 taxis in New York. You can take a look at the fare-driven future in the high-res gallery above, and read more about it in the press release below.

Runway Rumble: Nissan GT-R, Ducati 1098 and Lamborghini Reventon Roadster battle it out

One 2.5-mile runway, three different ways to take off: a Ducati 1098, a tuned Nissan GT-R with 580 horsepower and a launch control upgrade, and a Lamborghini Reventon Roadster. You'd naturally expect the Ducati to assert it's lightweight, high-horsepower authority in these matters, but with more than two miles to run, the ride that gets the jump at the line isn't always the one that gets the win.
That comes in especially handy for the Lamborghini, which suffers from a bad start in the first race and just looks plain ordinary in the second, until it finds redemption. You can see how it all goes down in the video below.

IIHS gives good ratings to 4 of 8 midsize pickups in crash test

Versions of the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon Crew Cab earned top ratings in a new crash test of midsize pickup trucks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, while two versions of the Nissan Frontier earned marginal ratings. But the organization gave poor marks to all eight pickups tested for their dim headlights. Overall, four of the eight pickups evaluated earned good ratings for protecting occupants in all five crash test categories — the Tacoma double cab along with crew cab versions of the Colorado, Canyon and Tacoma. But the poor headlights and lack of an automatic emergency braking system blocked any of the pickups from qualifying for the IIHS's Top Safety Pick awards. The study looked at two pickup body styles using 2017 models: crew cabs, which have four full doors and two full rows of seating, and extended cabs, which have two full front doors, two smaller rear doors and compact second-row seats. It subjected each to five tests, and it evaluated the performance of front crash prevention systems and headlights. The Toyota Tacoma crew cab was the only pickup in that class that earned a good rating for structure in the small overlap test, which replicates what happens when a vehicle clips a tree, pole or another vehicle that has crossed the center line. The model's Access Cab extended-cab version was rated similarly, though its structure was rated acceptable. "This group of small pickups performed better in the small overlap front test than many of their larger pickup cousins," says David Zuby, the Institute's executive vice president and chief research officer. "The exception was the Nissan Frontier, which hasn't had a structural redesign since the 2005 model year." The extended-cab versions of the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon earned acceptable ratings, while both the Nissan Frontier king-cab and crew-cab models were rated marginal. Toyota says its 2018 Tacoma will feature upgraded headlights and a standard autobraking system that can detect pedestrians. "Headlights are basic but vital safety equipment. Drivers shouldn't have to give up the ability to see the road at night when they choose a small pickup," Zuby said. Related Video: Auto News Chevrolet GMC Nissan Toyota Safety Truck Videos gmc canyon nissan frontier chevrolet colorado