In the bustling streets of Pune, India, a quiet revolution is underway as Vayve Mobility unveils solar-powered electric vehicles (EVs) designed to tackle urban congestion and pollution. With their innovative rooftop solar panels, Vayve’s Eva and CT5 models promise sustainable, affordable transportation for city dwellers, as showcased in a recent Autodesk video.

Solar Innovation for Urban Challenges

Vayve Mobility, founded by Nilesh Bajaj and Vilas Deshpande, is addressing the pressing needs of India’s densely populated urban centers. The Eva, a compact personal car, and the CT5, an electric taxi for five passengers, are built for efficiency in crowded cities. The Eva’s rooftop solar panel, spanning roughly 10.8 square feet, generates about one kilowatt-hour of energy daily under average Indian sunlight conditions—enough to power short commutes. “That square meter of solar panel on the roof can generate one kilowatt-hour of energy per day in average Indian conditions. This is kind of the holy grail of the industry,” Deshpande explains in the Autodesk feature.

The CT5, designed for shared mobility, caters to India’s taxi culture, where vehicles often crawl at 10 miles per hour in traffic, though they can reach up to 30 miles per hour. This focus on low-speed efficiency reduces energy demands, making solar power a viable supplement to traditional charging.

Autodesk Fusion: Streamlining EV Design

Vayve leverages Autodesk Fusion, a cloud-based design and build platform, to accelerate development. “Fusion is really helping us bring our product to the market faster… a complete end-to-end design and build platform that can take our products from prototyping, development, validation, to manufacturing,” says Bajaj. This technology enables Vayve to digitize early prototyping, cutting costs and boosting efficiency compared to traditional methods used by legacy automakers. The cloud-native software also fosters collaboration with vendors, ensuring seamless progress tracking.

A Vision for Accessibility and Impact

Vayve’s mission goes beyond technology—it’s about equity. “What we want to do is to bring that equality of access to more people. Today, people mostly rely on a two-wheeler, but having the convenience and comfort of a car really takes that to the next level,” Deshpande shares. In India, where two-wheelers dominate due to affordability, Vayve’s compact EVs offer a safer, more comfortable alternative. The broader impact resonates deeply: “The more access somebody has to mobility, they have better education for their kids, they have better access to jobs for themselves, better access to their community so that they can take care of each other,” Deshpande adds.

EVXL’s Take

At EVXL, we’re inspired by Vayve’s human-centered approach—turning sunlight into a ticket for better lives. Imagine weaving through Mumbai’s traffic in an Eva, knowing your ride is powered by the sun above, not a gas pump. It’s a small step for tech, but a giant leap for urban families who dream of more than a scooter. Vayve isn’t just building cars; they’re building bridges to opportunity, and that’s the kind of spark the EV world needs. As solar tech improves, we’d love to see how far these vehicles can stretch that kilowatt-hour—maybe enough to make weekend getaways a reality for city dwellers.

With a focus on sustainability, affordability, and accessibility, Vayve Mobility is carving a path for urban transportation that’s as bright as the Indian sun. As they roll out their prototypes, the streets of Pune might just be the starting line for a global shift in how we move.