(October 23, 2011) NEW YORK — Nissan Americas has announced that it established partnerships with Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution and the Design Trust for Public Space.

Nissan's announcement coincided with National Design Week (Oct. 15-23), Cooper-Hewitt's educational program aimed at drawing national attention to the ways in which design enriches everyday life.

Nissan's relationship with Cooper-Hewitt includes in-kind contributions related to National Design Week events in New York City as well as other upcoming museum outreach activities.

Nissan also has made a cash contribution to the Design Trust for Public Space, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public space in New York City, for support of that organization's involvement in the Taxi of Tomorrow Advisory Panel through 2012. Additionally, Nissan is exploring opportunities for further collaboration with the Design Trust on its 2012 programming.

Cooper-Hewitt National
Design Museum in N.Y.

Both Cooper-Hewitt and Design Trust will continue to play key roles in New York's Taxi of Tomorrow project, which began in 2007 as an initiative to establish the vision for a next-generation New York City taxicab. Following a rigorous selection process, Nissan's NV200 Taxi was selected in May 2011 as New York City's exclusive Taxi of Tomorrow beginning in late 2013.

Representatives from Cooper-Hewitt and Design Trust have previewed the NV200 Taxi's design, and both organizations will have a presence at upcoming events related to Taxi of Tomorrow, including the first public preview of the vehicle's custom-designed interior which will be announced later this month.

"From the time Nissan first became involved with Taxi of Tomorrow, we've approached it as a collaboration rather than just another fleet deal," said Joe Castelli, vice president, Light Commercial Vehicles for Nissan Americas. "Cooper-Hewitt and Design Trust have been important forces behind Taxi of Tomorrow since the program's inception, and their ongoing involvement will help ensure the Nissan NV200 Taxi honors the New York taxi's iconic heritage while ushering in a new era of functionality and sustainability. These partnerships also recognize the contributions that Cooper-Hewitt and Design Trust make to the overall quality of life in New York City."