Given how many miles taxis put in per day, the concept of electric taxis is certainly appealing. That said, one problem is the amount of time that their batteries can take to recharge – most cabbies won't want to shorten their work day or do a split shift, in order to juice up their cars. With the EVA taxi, however, they wouldn't have to. The prototype vehicle can reportedly get enough of a charge in 15 minutes to travel 200 km (124 mi).
EVA was created via the TUM Create project, a collaboration between Germany's Technische Universität München and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University. The 200-km figure is based on typical Singapore taxi-driving patterns, with the air conditioning turned on.
The vehicle gets the most out of one charge due partly to its lightweight carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) monocoque body, along with a unique thermal management system that keeps the 450-volt 63-Ah lithium polymer battery from overheating when charging rapidly.
It also utilizes an overhead air conditioning system, in which cooling air is delivered to each passenger individually. This means that power isn't wasted cooling the entire cabin, or cooling seats with no passengers in them. Additionally, the AC gets a break thanks to a separate system that sucks heat and moisture away from passengers through the seats.
Other features of the EVA taxi include a front passenger seat that folds forward to reveal an integrated child seat, and an onboard smartphone-accessible system for entertainment, booking and digital payments.
The 5-door prototype has four seats, a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time of 10 seconds, and a top speed of 111 km/h (69 mph). It is currently on display at the Tokyo Motor Show.
Source: EVA
It would be great if those ideas that give it longer range would go into electric vehicles that one can buy for oneself.
As for 15 minute charging that has been around nearly a century.
Though then the 1900's NYC EV Taxis just swapped packs in a minute showing the correct way 100 yrs ago.
Even my old forklift tech EV charges in 15 minutes like so many in the past have.
Big these are already in many EV's now.
I'd like to see a generator bracket/trailer hitch and a plug for a optional/rental unlimited range generator as standard on almost all sizeable EV's.
Fifteen minutes to get 124 mile range? With what battery life? Cost? We need more details.
How much more range with an aerodynamic design? For the kind of slow stop and go city driving the vehicle was intended for, probably not much, if any.
Singapore has been ahead of the rest of the world in just about every category for the last 20 years. And now they are starting to do the same with taxis.
They were a mosquito infested village and a British colony until the 1960's. When they were granted independence they decided to be a free enterprise country with emphasis on the rule of law and personal responsibility, and have not looked back since then.
In other words, they do almost everything opposite to what typical left-wing politicians do in the rest of the world.