Auto Expo 2023: Meet Eva, India's first electric car with a solar option
"You can see the car's interiors; it is as good as a luxury hatchback or a small sedan. So you will get that level of comfort but in a more efficient packaging targeted at Indian cities and India-like nations," Vayve Mobility CEO Nilesh Bajaj said. This vehicle will be commercially launched in about a year's time. By mid of 2024, you will start seeing some of these vehicles on the road.
FollowIndian automaker start-up Vayve Mobility has unveiled 'Eva', which, according to the company, is the country's first solar-powered electric vehicle. Unveiled at the ongoing Auto Expo 2023, the two-seater smart car is aimed at making daily travel effortless. Asianet Newsable spoke to Vayve Mobility CEO Nilesh Bajaj to learn more about Eva.
"Solar is a resource we should be using more and more. Solar panels are becoming lighter and more efficient in the last few years. With our car and lightweight body, the solar panel can give you 10 more kilometres of extra mileage every day. It may not sound much, but if you think that India gets over 300 good days of sunlight in a year, you are looking at 3000 extra kilometres. But at the same time, our batteries can go up to 250 kilometres on a single charge in the city. Solar makes an excellent financial as well as logistical choice to add to this vehicle," Nilesh said.
Watch the full interview with Vayve Mobility CEO Nilesh Bajaj below
"This is a purely urban-use vehicle. It can be used by everybody who drives to the office daily, maybe spends 30 minutes to two hours in the car and wants a convenient and comfortable vehicle that is easy to drive, easy to park and also easy to the pocket. So it is the best of both worlds without compromising on the features. You can see the car's interiors; it is as good as a luxury hatchback or a small sedan. So you will get that level of comfort but in a more efficient packaging targeted at Indian cities. This vehicle will be commercially launched in about a year. By mid-2024, you will start seeing some of these vehicles on the road," he said.
Nilesh, however, was tight-lipped about the price of the car.
When asked about the features being offered in the Eva, the Vayve Mobility CEO said: "Your car gives you all the information about the vehicle or about any preventive maintenance. Plus, we support standard Android Auto, Apple Carplay and navigation. You can take calls. Everything you are used to in a premium hatchback is inside the car. It is a completely air-conditioned cabin. Even our battery pack is liquid-cooled, making it suitable for the Indian climate and is good both in terms of safety and longevity of the battery pack. So when they are operated under cooler temperature, it gives you much longer life as compared to a normal battery pack."
"Our car is designed for city use. Its top speed is 70 kilometres per hour. As our battery pack is in the base, our centre of gravity is extremely low. In terms of safety features, we have driver airbag, and our chassis is built to withstand any accident at the speed of 70 kmph," he added.
