On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 23:00:14 +0100, Bruce
wrote:

Recliner wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:47:20 +0100, Jim
[wake wrote:



Having just looked at a BBC news item concerning Nissan having an
approved cab for London has reminded me of something.

What happened to the Mercedes Vito van-based cab with 4-wheel steering
that was supposed to take over in London? It doesn't seem to be very
common yet.


Probably because it is too expensive? Since launch, the purchase
price has climbed quite steeply to the point where the saving over the
Manganese Bronze LTI cab is small. Also, there are many garages all
over London that specialise in repairing and maintaining the
traditional LTI models, but few with expertise in the Mercedes-Benz.

The Nissan taxi is going to have to be better supported than the
Mercedes-Benz if it is to make a dent in LTI sales. A low purchase
price is not enough. Significantly raising the price before it was
established in the market is what may have killed off the
Mercedes-Benz.


I must admit I don't know much about taxi economics, but I'd imagine
that running costs for a vehicle that's working for many hours each
day greatly outweigh the initial purchase price. So I wonder how these
new pretenders to the throne compare with the established LT1?