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Raving about Reva

Long before "green" cars became a well understood concept in India and before government policies started focusing on environmental concerns due to car emissions, a tiny, boxy, and unique looking two-seater electric car began rolling out of a small factory belonging to the REVA Electric Car Company in Bangalore.

The company was set up in 1994 as a result of a joint venture between the homegrown Maini Group and AEV of the United States. The REVA was the brainchild of Chetan Maini, a scion of the Maini Group, who championed the car at a time when skepticism was widespread about the viability of electric vehicles in the country. The REVA is lovingly named after his wife.

It took seven years of hard work and intensive research and development to launch India's first electric vehicle on May 11th 2001. The REVA is 95% indigenous because the entire development of the car was digitally executed in-house and though the REVA is a small package, it packs plenty.

Design

The body components and suspension receive good support as REVA is uniquely crafted with a lightweight tubular steel space frame. Lightweight dent-proof ABS plastic panels make up the car’s body. Large doors and a large crush zone have been incorporated into the design to ensure passenger safety and the position of the battery pack keeps the centre of gravity low.

The Drive

With no clutch and no gears, the fully automatic two-door hatchback provides hassle-free drives. A tiny turning radius of 3.5 meters makes it easy to manoeuvre and park.

Maintenance

The recharging of the fuel cell is easily done through any 15Amp electric socket. The charger is carried on-board. It takes less than seven hours to fully charge the battery (which consumes only 9 units of electricity) and gives a driving range of 80 km on full charge. The operating cost is just 40 paise/km. Maintenance costs are low as the car comes with minimal moving parts and troubleshooting it is easy with its onboard computers for energy management and data acquisition for quick diagnosis.

Features

Features such as Climate Control Seats and remote-controlled AC make the REVA unique in the hatchback segment. Another unique feature of the car is that it offers a choice of over 2000 shades of body paint to choose from and also allows buyers mix colours of their choice.

Proactive Government Support for REVA

The REVA currently the only completely eco-friendly car in India and is in tune with the Government’s stricter air pollution policies in major cities and green policies promoting clean energy vehicles. Various measures have already been taken to address this concern such as the prohibition of conventional vehicles in certain areas of cities and the imposing high entry tax on polluting vehicles.

Last year, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit launched the REVA in the capital city and announced a 29.5% cumulative discount on the car to encourage its purchase. The REVA is promoted and offered to the people as a “pocket-friendly drive to ensure a pollution-free environment”. The State Environment Department has already bought two top-end variants of REVA, one of which is being used by Sheila Dikshit herself.

REVA’s Commitment to Meet Growing Needs

Maini Group is planning on introducing even more innovative models of the eco-friendly car REVA for different rungs of consumers. Apart from the local market, the company also exports the several countries across the world - in Britain (where it is branded as G-Wiz), Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Spain, and Sri Lanka. It is being test marketed for applications such as mail trucks in Australia, Austria, Germany, and United States.

The Future of REVA

Electric cars have gained greatly in popularity over the past few years and are widely regarded as the cars of the future. However, a few drawbacks of electric cars are yet to be overcome and Hybrid cars (which are a mix of electric powertrain and fuel engine) are current favourites. As such, The RECC (Reva Electric Car Company) is planning to introduce a hybrid version of the REVA which will combine the battery power plant of the car with and engine using fuel.

The company has also unveiled another possibility - the REVA NXG concept car. It delivers a range of 200 km on full charge and a top speed of 120 km/h. This future technology is more advanced and capable and uses new battery technology. It also comes with the option of internet connectivity and touchscreen displays for instrumentation, navigation, and GPS systems.

Fuel cell technology for the REVA is also being researched and the car’s fuel cell prototype was unveiled a few years ago. Though the project is currently in its infant stage, the manufacturers of REVA established themselves as the first company in India to develop fuel cell technology.

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