Indian carmaker uses solar-power for new electric taxi and city car

Urban areas around the world grapple daily with the dual challenges of traffic congestion and poor air quality. These issues extend beyond mere inconvenience, profoundly affecting the economy and the health of millions of citizens.

India-based Vayve Mobility’s  innovative solar-powered electric vehicles are designed to transform short-distance urban travel with these challenges in mind. 

The EVA: solar-powered efficiency 

At the forefront of Vayve Mobility’s lineup is the EVA, a compact solar-electric vehicle that promises to redefine urban commuting. The EVA is engineered with a strong emphasis on sustainability and efficiency, making it an ideal choice for eco-conscious urban dwellers.

The vehicle’s solar panels are seamlessly integrated into its design, capturing sunlight to provide up to 15 kilometres of driving per day purely from solar charging. It also has a top speed of 70kph and brisk acceleration at low-speeds, going from 0 to 40 kph in just five seconds. 

The solar capability ensures that short daily commutes can be accomplished without relying on external charging infrastructure, significantly reducing the vehicle’s carbon footprint. For longer journeys, the EVA offers a total range of 250 kilometres when utilising DC fast charging. This blend of solar and electric power not only reduces carbon emissions but also offers a practical solution for daily urban travel. 

The EVA’s compact dimensions and agility make it well-suited for navigating crowded city streets. Its interior is thoughtfully designed to maximise comfort and functionality, featuring advanced infotainment systems and ergonomic seating to enhance the driving experience. 

CT5 EV Taxi: redefining shared mobility 

Vayve’s CT5 EV Taxi is designed to meet the demands of shared mobility, and with seating for five passengers is optimised for ride-hailing and shared transportation services. Its design focuses on durability and comfort, ensuring a reliable and pleasant experience for both drivers and passengers. In addition, robust suspension systems and reinforced body structures help to withstand the rigours of daily use in bustling urban environments. 

Passenger comfort is a priority. The spacious interior is designed to provide ample leg and headroom, ensuring a comfortable ride for all occupants, while advanced climate control systems maintain a pleasant interior temperature regardless of potentially harsh weather conditions. 

Embracing a digital-first design process 

In the automotive industry, traditional OEMs rely heavily on physical models and clay prototypes, which can be time-consuming and expensive to produce. But Vayve Mobility has embraced rapid prototyping and a digital-first approach instead. 

Autodesk Fusion enabled the Vayve Mobility team to seamlessly integrate its design, engineering and manufacturing workflows, ensuring precision and efficiency at every stage. Vayve leveraged Fusion’s comprehensive suite of tools for end-to-end design of both the EVA and CT5 EV Taxi, including rapid prototyping, testing and refining the designs. Fusion’s cloud-based collaboration features also facilitated effective communication and coordination among Vayve Mobility’s multidisciplinary teams, further enhancing the efficiency of the design and manufacturing process. 

“Using the cloud isn’t just file storage, but an active integration with the development process,” says Nilesh Bajaj, chief executive of Vayve Mobility. “We have around ten people in our mechanical design team, and they work on different modules. The team lead takes these individual components and puts them in a single model, which he can review in real-time as the model develops.” 

“Everyone can work independently,” he continues, “but we can see the progress of the whole model as it is coming along while the development is happening and not as an afterthought. It saves a lot of time in the iteration process.” 

Vayve’s vision for the future of urban mobility 

By leveraging solar power and paying close attention to market demand, Vayve Mobility is addressing the immediate needs of urban commuters while contributing to a greener future. Moreover, the Vayve team’s digital-first approach to vehicle design is a testament to the power of embracing the cloud for time and cost savings.   

“Fusion has helped us to bring our product to market significantly faster,” says Bajaj. “Being a start-up, agility is one of the key factors that we require in the development process. By using the Fusion platform, we can save about 50% of the development time and about 70% of the development cost that we would have to make if we would have chosen the other options in the market.” 

Showcased in the metal for the first time, Vayve Mobility recently launched the EVA at the 2025 New Delhi Auto Expo.

The car is currently open for pre-bookings on Vayve Mobility’s website in three different variants – Nova, Stella and Vega – depending on the user’s needs. There is also the option to either purchase its battery outright or sign on for a battery subscription. Deliveries for the EVA are slated to begin by 2026.