Nissan Motor Co. said Monday that its NV200 minivan has been chosen to become a London taxi and will be used from the spring of 2014, joining the crowd of famous black cabs in the British capital.

The fuel-efficient minivan was chosen after New York City decided last year to use the Nissan vehicle as a next-generation taxi from 2013, raising expectations that sales of the minivan will get a boost from its debut in the two major cities.

While the NV200 will replace some taxis in New York, in London it will be used alongside existing taxis, including a van type manufactured by Mercedes-Benz and a conventional black cab built by an automaker affiliated with China's Geely Automobile.

There are roughly 23,000 taxis in London.