Singapore is a small area filled with a whole lot of people. Many who call Singapore home get from place to place using taxis. The high use of taxi's in Singapore contributes to the amount of harmful emissions in the air. A new research project has high hopes to drastically reduce the levels of harmful emissions from the cities network of taxis.
The research project is a joint venture between Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Recently at the Tokyo Motor Show they unveiled its electric taxi concept car simply called EVA.
In Singapore taxis account for less than 3% of the vehicle population, but contribute 15% of the total distance of miles traveled. In the city two-shift taxis commonly drive well over 300 miles a day. The new EVA can cover more than 120 miles on a single charge. Another bonus the battery in EVA can be totally charged in 15 minutes. This saves on both down time and lost cab fares.
TUM and NTU created EVA with the idea of straying from the current electrical cars available and the limitations that those vehicles face. EVA is built with “the extensive use of lightweight materials and energy-saving solutions such as individualized overhead air-conditioning.”
The project is supported by Singapore’s National Research Foundation. It includes many user friendly features including; "ergonomically designed seats that equipped with a purpose-built system where suction draws away moisture and heat, a folding front passenger seat that reveals an integrated child seat and an infotainment system that allows passengers to control air-conditioning and audio settings wirelessly from their personal mobile devices. Similarly, the central control panel and driver’s instrument cluster are also connected seamlessly to the on-board systems, and are able to provide driving statistics and power-saving tips to the driver,” the projects website explains.
The project has almost completed all necessary testing, but it is uncertain when EVA will actually hit the streets of Singapore.
Edited by Ryan Sartor