EVA

time span

03 | 2012 - 01 | 2014

location

Singapore

role

designer / design consultant

team

interior-, exterior-, and product development:
Rahul Gujarathi, Goran Marinkovic, Simon Rauchbart, Andreas Schwab, Sebastian Stadler, Wotan Wilden
participants from other departements

professors

Fritz Frenkler, Markus Lienkamp, et al

ocassion

project at TUM Create Singapore / TUM Chair of Industrial Design / TUM Institute of Automotive Technology
all project partners

challenge

focus and visualise the ideas of 120 scientists, designers and engineers from over 20 countries to one single visionary concept car

Electric vehicle Asia

EVA is the first electric vehicle specifically designed as a taxi for tropical megacities. It results from a successful collaboration between Singapore’s Nangyang Technological University (NTU) and the Technische Universität München (TUM), supported from Singapore’s National Research Foundation. EVA was built from the ground up, going from concept to prototype in just two years.

The ideal concept for Singapore

By replacing fuel-burning vehicles with electric-powered ones, carbon emissions as well as local noise and hydrocarbon emissions can be reduced. The impact that taxis can make is far greater than private passenger cars due to their leveraging effect. In Singapore, taxis make up less than 3% of the vehicle population. Despite their small numbers, they account for 15% of the total distance covered by all vehicles in Singapore. Many taxis run on a two-shift rotation for up to 24 hours every day, covering an average of 520 km each.
In addition, transportation companies around the world typically repurpose passenger cars as taxis. However, the challenge of current electric vehicles is the extremely limited range and long recharge times (up to 8 hours), making them unsuitable as taxis. The heat and humidity in tropical megacities also pose unique challenges, including passenger cooling and battery pack heat management, which are specific for this part of the world. We have tackled these challenges by finding solutions for a more sustainable future in mobility.

Technical Data

For detailed information, please refer to the documentation.

Segment / Type

C-Segment / Compact Car

Curb Weight

1500 kg (including battery)

Max permissible

1900 kg

Air resistance (Cd x A)

0.34 x 2.8 m²

Max. Power

60 kW (electronically limited)

Max. Torque

223 Nm

Top Speed

111 km/h

0 – 100 km/h

10 seconds (electronically limited)

Drivetrain

Front synchronous motor

Battery

50 kWh

Range (15 min charging)

200 km (Daily driving pattern)
330 km (U.S. FTP 72 standards)

The above-mentioned specifications describe the concept car from the year 2014 and might now be out of date due to improved components.

Manufacturing EVA

Developing the electric taxi in Singapore was a feat in itself, given the country’s small automobile industry.
To transport the showcased scientific ideas in the best way we had to develop and present a concept car that has the visuals of a fully functional prototype. Combined with the start from scratch and the demanding technology the finalization of the prototype was very challenging but also satisfying. For more info, see the documentation.

Tokyo Motor Show 2013

TUM CREATE has unveiled its electric taxi prototype, codenamed EVA, at the 43. Tokyo Motor Show. The vehicle and the exhibition stand serve as a perfect platform to showcase the results of all researchers from all departments in a visual appealing way to a large audience consisting of experts and private persons.
The design of the exhibition stand is accordingly very neutral and highlights the vehicle and the research results. It also corresponds to my earlier exhibitions in emphasizing the sustainable approach of the projects through the design language.

Impact

Experts as well as international media outlets were enthusiastic about EVA. The project convinced the Jury of the Bavarian State Prize for Electromobility and was awarded the eCarTec Award 2014 in the category "Product Concept / Vision".
Just as the research that I did for my diploma thesis "Gemini - Future Mobility for Singapore" established important foundations for EVA, EVA created essential foundations for follow-up projects. The design language for vehicles made by TUM, which was already developed in the earlier project MUTE, was further established by EVA. This design language has served as an archetype for later projects.
The success of EVA was an important step in continuing the international collaboration with the project TUM Create Phase 2 - Towards the Ultimate Public Transport System.
As a result of the large impact on EVA, with my contribution to the research proposal, I could secure a larger percentage of the overall budget of TUM Create Phase 2 for our department than originally intended. Hence, our department DAM - Design for Autonomous Mobility is now able to conduct fundamental design research which is essential for the success of TUM Create Phase 2.

documentation

Project partners

Project by

TUM CREATE Ltd

Academic partners

Technische Universität München
Nanyang Technological University

Funded by

National Research Foundation,
Prime Minister‘s Office, Singapore

Industry partners

Admiralty International Pte Ltd
HOPE Technik Pte Ltd