Kolkata, May 29: Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), in partnership with Jadavpur University, has unveiled a prototype of Kolkata’s iconic Yellow Taxi retrofitted into a fully electric vehicle (EV), highlighting a sustainable approach to urban mobility and vehicle electrification.
The prototype has been developed under DVC’s Research and Development project titled “Digital Twin Development to Study the Feasibility of Retrofitted E-Mobility and Technological Requirements for its Sustainability.”
The initiative seeks to address a major challenge in India’s EV transition — the premature scrapping of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles — by promoting cost-effective retrofitting solutions that extend the operational life of existing vehicles.
The Green Yellow Taxi was unveiled at DVC Headquarters in Kolkata by DVC Chairman S. Suresh Kumar, in the presence of Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Professor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, senior DVC officials, academic researchers and industry representatives.
Funded under DVC’s sustainability-focused R&D programme, the project demonstrates how traditional heritage yellow taxis can be converted into electric vehicles while preserving much of their original transmission architecture.
The research is being led by Professor Amitava Gupta of Jadavpur University’s Department of Power Engineering, supported by a multidisciplinary academic team.
Built on a 1.5DZ Yellow Taxi platform, the EV prototype integrates an electric motor-drive system, intelligent control interfaces and advanced sensor technologies.
According to project officials, preliminary testing has delivered encouraging results, including high city driving range, faster acceleration, air-conditioning capability and IoT-enabled monitoring systems.
The project also incorporates a swappable battery model, designed to better suit Indian urban mobility requirements and fleet operations.
DVC said the initiative reflects its continued emphasis on innovation and industry-academia collaboration, supported by the active involvement of its R&D department.
Following the unveiling, the prototype will undergo further testing, performance validation and regulatory certification before moving toward potential commercial deployment.
The project team envisions future commercialisation through industry partnerships, creating opportunities for large-scale adoption of retrofitted EV solutions across India.
The electric Yellow Taxi prototype represents a blend of heritage, clean technology and sustainability, showcasing a pathway for transforming India’s existing vehicle fleet into greener mobility assets.
