NTU-linked electric taxi unveiled

EVA, believed to be the world's first electric taxi for tropical megacities and first car to ever be built in Singapore, was unveiled on Friday by TUM CREATE, a collaboration between the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Germany's Technische Universität München.

It is said to be able to travel up to 200 kilometres on a single 15-minute charge, and produce zero local emission. Despite its large battery pack, EVA is reportedly 150 kilograms lighter than the average taxi due to its lightweight carbon-fibre composites.

"EVA represents a disruption to the traditional taxi industry, and automobile industry as a whole. The costs of building electric vehicles and charging infrastructure are only going to go down in the next decade, presenting many opportunities for smart mobility," said Thomas Hoffman, TUM's vice-president for research and innovation.

TUM CREATE is now in talks with industry players to commercialise EVA, and bring it to big cities around the world.