Ahmedabad-based eNEG Mobility is developing an electric taxi with a targeted price of Rs 4.5 lakh, excluding the battery. The company is also proposing an on-road price of Rs 6.49 lakh with the battery. The vehicle is being developed for shared mobility and is targeting a range of 300-320km on a single charge.
Positioned as a mini-SUV, the proposed electric taxi is intended to sit between the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R and Dzire.
eNEG electric taxi: powertrain and range
The proposed electric taxi will use a 30-32kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery paired with a 67hp electric motor producing around 150Nm of torque. It will have a rear-wheel-drive layout and a single-speed automatic transmission, with seating for five. The company is targeting a top speed of 80kph.
eNEG Mobility claims the battery will take around 27 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent using a DC fast charger. These figures are development targets, and the company says the final specifications may change before the vehicle's commercial introduction.
Battery subscription and fleet management
The company plans to offer the electric taxi through a Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model. Under this arrangement, fleet operators would buy the vehicle without owning the battery. Under this arrangement, the vehicle is expected to cost Rs 4.5 lakh upfront. eNEG is also developing a swappable battery option, with a targeted replacement time of seven minutes.
Founder Akshay Gupta has indicated that battery costs could be around Rs 1 per kilometre. This is a company estimate; final subscription charges and operating terms have not been established.
The company also plans to offer an integrated fleet management platform with route monitoring, theft deterrence, battery-health tracking and predictive maintenance functions. It plans to integrate these systems during vehicle development rather than offer them as aftermarket additions.
Development and manufacturing plans
eNEG Mobility is exploring partnerships with suppliers to access a body-in-white or an existing vehicle platform, rather than develop a new chassis from scratch. Gupta said developing an independent chassis could require tooling investment of close to USD 100 million.
The company is laying the groundwork for manufacturing operations in Gujarat, with its headquarters in Ahmedabad. It is also seeking collaboration with fleet operators, suppliers, vehicle manufacturers and government bodies.
Gupta also co-founded connected-car technology company Scouto in 2016. The company was acquired by used-car platform Spinny in 2022.
Ajit Dalvi
