India to launch an affordable sun-powered EV

Vayve Mobility will attend the Bharat Mobility Global Expo in Delhi later this month with a production-ready EV called the Eva. Aside from having an all-original chassis and interior, the car features a solar top that should help save on charging. Read on for the specific numbers.

The lightweight Vayve Eva features a floor-mounted battery pack rated at just 14 kilowatt-hours. The company claims it’s still enough for 250 km (155 miles) of range, and you can refill it back to 80% in 45 minutes using a wired charger. The solar panels covering the entire panoramic roof should generate enough power for 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) of free range per year. Vayve Mobility estimates that this makes the EV 90% cheaper to drive than a traditional ICE car, at 0.5 Indian Rupees spent per kilometer instead of 5.

Advertised as the first-of-a-kind in the country, the Eva has a much wider wheel span at the front than at the back, supposedly for better aerodynamics. It is just 3,060 mm (119.5 inches) long and has 2,200 mm (86 inches) between the axles. The wheels measure 13 inches in diameter. The interior seats two adults and a child, but the front row is only big enough for the driver’s seat.

A compact motor drives the rear axle with 40 Nm (30 lb-ft) of torque. The power is unspecified, but the company says it takes five seconds for the EV to go 0-40 km/h (0-25 mph). Trying its hardest, it doesn’t exceed 70 km/h (43.5 mph).

Trim options are surprisingly expansive and begin with a full-fledged infotainment system with two displays and OTA update support. Telematics, climate control and extra storage opportunities are also on the list, but you cannot get more than one airbag.

All pricing remains to be revealed.