Soorya 8-seat e-taxi

Singapore-based Soorya EV has announced that it has developed an eightseater electric taxi for the last mile ridesharing segment in emerging markets of the Indian subcontinent, ASEAN region, Africa and South America. The vehicle, developed with an intention to further strengthen the last mile ride sharing segment, has a modular architecture. Unlike vehicles found in the fleet or taxi segment, this vehicle, according to the company, is about technology and affordability. A zero-emission pure electric vehicle with a price tag of under Rs.10 lakh, the eight-seat e-taxi will run on either fixed or swappable batteries. It will be backed by an investment of USD-five million and more, including the setting up of a microfactory. Expected to find a place with ride hailing operators, shuttle service providers and independent owners who would largely attach themselves with aggregators like Ola and Uber, the eight-seat e-taxi is engineered such that it could be built at multiple locations at the same time. Claiming to have enquiries for 7000 units, the company has set a target to produce 10,000 units initially. The aim is to globally make 100,000 units per annum.