ALL ELECTRIC CAR BRANDS

Report: Toyota Prius minivan coming in 2011

2010-04-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

We've been hearing the rumors for over a year, and it's now looking increasingly likely that Toyota is getting ready to launch a new hybrid minivan that will wear the Prius nameplate. If true, this would be the first completely new vehicle added to the Prius stable, where it would join the well-known hatchback sometime in 2011.

According to Reuters (which is citing the Japanese Nikkei), this new Prius hybrid minivan may very well be the first such vehicle from Toyota equipped with an in-house developed lithium ion battery pack. The three-row vehicle, which we can only presume would also have sliding doors, would potentially seat up to seven people, expanding Toyota's hybrid technology further into the family-use market.

No other details are available other than the notion that Toyota would like to keep the price close to that of standard minivans currently on the market. Stay tuned for more as we hear it.

Ford Needs a Little Convincing When it Comes to Small Diesels in the U.S.

2010-04-15T04:08:00.001-07:00

If you’re a fan of small to mid-sized diesel passenger cars and are frustrated with our lack of choice on the matter in the U.S. listen up: Ford says that they won’t bring diesels here until they see enough demand. So get on the horn, type out an email, write letters to national magazines and let Ford, your politicians and your state auto dealer associations know that the demand is out there.

What’s crazy is that they need to be given the nudge though… all it takes these days is to look at the success other manufacturers are having with diesels in the U.S. to know that there is demand.

Chevy Volt on Track For Production, EPA Still Doesn’t Know How to Rate Mileage

2010-04-15T04:02:00.000-07:00

In an update on the Volt, GM says they’re charging ahead towards full scale production of the Volt for general release later this year. They’ve completed all sorts of harsh weather testing in the cold and will be conducting extreme hot weather testing this Summer. They’ve done marathon test drives and taken the car up to the tops of the mountains.

After all the testing this last year — 500,000 miles spread across all of their test mules — they say they’ve been able to eek out the average claimed 40 mile EV-only range and haven’t come up against any showstopping problems. So, as we come to the end of testing, it seems the only major question yet to be resolved is how the EPA will treat the vehicle when it comes to fuel economy ratings.

At Climate Change Summit, 14 of World's Biggest Cities Commit to EV's

2009-12-23T01:42:00.001-08:00

A group of fourteen of the world’s largest cities came together at the UN COP15 climate summit in Copenhagen on Wednesday to form the ‘C40 Electric Vehicle Network’, which will work collectively in four areas of municipal action that they see as critical to the successful introduction of electric vehicles.

The cities–Bogota, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Copenhagen, Delhi, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Sydney, have pledged to-

1. 1. Facilitate the planning and deployment of charging infrastructure and related electricity supply systems in collaboration with local utilities.
2. 2. Work with relevant stakeholders to streamline permitting processes associated with charging equipment to encourage the safe and expeditious installation on customer premises and elsewhere.
3. 3. Coordinate monetary and non-monetary incentives available to the general public and organizations purchasing electric vehicles, and contribute to the package appropriately.
4. 4. Develop and publish a plan to mobilize demand for electric vehicles in city fleets for the period 2010 - 2013 and rally private fleets to the safe end.

The C40 group will include input from not only municipal/governmental agencies, but from NGO's such as the Clinton Climate Initiative and private sector partners BYD, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Nissan and Renault.By advising on vehicle specifications, charging parameters, business models for electricity supply, and incentives, these companies will help the cities craft electric vehicle policies, as well as advise on vehicle procurement and infrastructure development and investment decisions.

In a statement read at the climate summit, former United States President Bill Clinton Said "By bringing together cities and private sector companies to make electric vehicles a viable option for every driver, this network will help improve air quality, create more sustainable, good-paying jobs, and establish new models for other cities to follow."

Get a Free Electric Car from Drive Electric

2009-12-23T01:41:00.001-08:00

A headline like the one above begs the question, "What's the catch?" Can you really get an electric car for free? Well, kinda.

Oklahoma-based, Drive Electric, sells neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs - a.k.a. electric golf carts) made by Western Golf Cars and Zone Electric. The NEV retailer is currently offering the four-passenger Zone Electric NEV-48 EX for $6,496.53. Not free you say? Subtract the $6,496.53 federal tax credit for EVs from the purchase price and voila. You've got yourself a free EV.

Sure, this EV is only legal to drive on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less, and of course, you'd better talk to your tax planner before you write the check. If you live in a community where the pace of life is slow enough to accommodate golf carts though, this may be the deal for you.

Head of AMG Says Mercedes SLS EV Will Offer Supercar Performance

2009-12-23T01:40:00.001-08:00

The Mercedes SLS AMG is a supercar capable of delivering an exciting driving experience, breathtaking top speeds, and track worthy handling. In gasoline engine trim, the car is one of a handful of vehicles to offer performance on par with true race cars. However, this vehicle will soon be available in EV form and enthusiasts have wondered if the electric vehicle will deliver the same driving experience.

According to AMG head Volker Mornhinweg, the EV version will meet all of the performance objectives of the original car. The EV version of the SLS AMG has 4 electric motor cranking out 525 hp and 649 lb-ft of torque. Each motor powers an individual wheel making the awd EV version capable of reaching 60 mph in 4 seconds flat. The vehicles sports 3 separate li-ion battery packs delivering a 110 mile range.

Weighing in at 500 pounds more than the gasoline version, the EV SLS AMG has its work cut out. The additional weight is overcome by the traction ability afforded by awd and an advanced torque vectoring system developed by Mercedes.

As Mornhinweg said, "Effectively being four-wheel-drive does alter its character, but our torque vectoring systems give us opportunities to make it as good. It's important to get the emotional level of an EV right and we have some solutions."

The electric SLS AMG should reach the market by 2013. Price has not been disclosed and the vehicle may be offered on a lease only basis. The SLS AMG EV could be Mercedes answer to the Audi e-tron. Who could have thought that supercar and EV would exist in the same sentence?

2009-12-23T01:37:00.000-08:00

Prior to going into government sponsored bankruptcy, Chrysler had displayed several electric car concepts including a 200C extended range electric vehicle and a 2 seat electric roadster.

Since re-emerging as property of Italy's Fiat corp, plans for those Chrysler electric cars have been in limbo, and the so-called ENVI program all but dead.

Apparently that's about to change.

Bloomberg is reporting information gleaned from anonymous sources that Chrysler will be unveiling an electric version of the Fiat 500 at the Detroit Auto Show next month.

,Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne was quoted as saying his company plans to sell over 50,000 electric vehicles per year by 2014.

The 500 is already a popular subcompact car in Europe, and a gas version is expected to go on sale in the US next year.

What Chrysler's plan for the Fiat 500 EV is remains unknown at this time.

12 Cool and Funny Looking Electric Cars

2009-12-03T00:52:00.001-08:00

Electric cars are cool, hip, interesting, and environmentally-friendly. Automakers old and new are all developing new ways for us to drive, and by far, the most popular hybrid vehicle in the United States is the Toyota Prius. We’re all used to how it looks now, but remember how strange we thought it looked when it first came out? Oh yeah… a lot of these electric cars look weird… no doubt about it… here’s a list of my favorite odd-balls…

1. Aptera 2e

Even if it did have four wheels, instead of only three, the Aptera would still look odd. It looks futuristic, to say the least… like it would hover, rather than actually drive on the street…

2. Mitsubishi iMIEV

I test-drove this little bug at this year’s auto show in Detroit, and I liked it! It was peppy and easy to maneuver, but… it is so funny-looking!

3. Toyota Prius

We may be used to seeing them now, but you have to admit, the first time you saw a Prius, you thought it was a little funny-looking! I do actually like the iconic profile, but… I used to think it was weird, too!

4. Solus COCO Neighborhood Electric Vehicle

This looks a lot like the SMART car to me, except it seems to be missing something… hmm… I hope it doesn’t rain!

5. Peugeot BB1

This concept car was unveiled last week, and this may be one of the strangest-looking electric cars I’ve ever seen. It seems to be leaning forward, ready to topple right over! And the front wheels are noticeably larger than the back… weird…

6. Nissan LEAF

It’s hard to pin-point exactly what about the LEAF looks so odd… it just looks stretched out, with difficult proportions… like an elongated station wagon, but I think the design might grow on me, just like the Prius did…

7. Tango EV
Skinny! This has to be the thinnest, narrowest, skinniest car I have ever seen… Almost like an enclosed scooter! This EV is a two-seater, but unlike other two-seaters (like the SMART car), the driver and passenger sit front-and-back, not side-to-side.

8. Renault Kangoo EV

I actually really like this unusual design. It’s bubbly, cute, almost like an animated characters or a video game vehicle.

9. Axon Hatchback

This looks a lot like the original Honda Insight, with the skirting on the rear wheel wells. It must have great headroom, with that camel-hump in the middle!

10. Honda Insight

Come to think of it, the Honda Insight was really strange-looking, especially since we we’re used to seeing anything this small and stream-lined on the road at the time. Now it looks a lot more like the Prius…

11. REVA NXR

I really like this one! It’s odd-looking, for sure, but it’s attractive in an almost feline way. The color I’ve seen the most is also a cool lime green… I like it!

12. TH!NK City

If IKEA made an electric vehicle
, this might be what it would look like. Tiny, spare, but strangely adorable. Do we want our cars to look this cute? Maybe…

I almost feel bad for talking trash about electric vehicles when there are so many reasons they’re better to drive than traditional fossil-fuel burning cars. I have to say, there are a lot of bland, boring ones, and even a number of totally hot ones! Do you have a favorite goofy-looking electric car? Which ones have kind of grown on you lately?

A Green Reva electric car Introduction to Israel

2009-12-01T02:34:00.000-08:00

So what you think about new Reva NXR ????

ANS- LOL...

Reva Ready To Look At Growth Capital

2009-11-30T22:01:00.001-08:00

Reva will be a small part of the biz which will be dominated by revenues from licensed manufacturing and technology.

All elements appear to be in place for a multi-dimensional growth for Reva Electric Car Company, a Bangalore-based company formed as a joint venture between Maini Group of India and AEV LLC of California and backed by US investors Global Environment Fund and Draper Fisher Jurvetson (who have both invested $10 million each). When everyone in the world is talking about low-cost automobiles, after Nano became a reality, Reva, tucked away in Bangalore, is quietly experimenting with a plan that will potentially change the way automobile manufacturing is perceived.

Reva is working on a platform technology that brings down the cost of manufacturing a car to just a fraction of conventional auto assemblies. Reva, which is variously called cute and a toy car, has sold a little over 3,000 cars mostly in Bangalore and London but it is at an interesting phase where many of its experiments seem to be paying off. Reva, the electric vehicle, is actually now a small part of the business, which will soon be dominated by revenues from licensed manufacturing, licensed technology and mobility solutions. In an interview with VCCircle, Chetan Maini, deputy chairman, Reva Electric said, “we started as an EV company. We see Reva as a total EV mobility solutions company, driven by customer insights, ideas and technology. We are not just looking at a product. At a macro level, energy security and climate change will dominate our next 10 years. Our products will leverage on that and be a platform creator.” Excerpts:-

How has the journey been so far for Reva?

We have been focussing on the markets of Bangalore and London to understand consumers and technology. It has helped us create a platform for next generation technology. We internally view Reva as an ideas and knowledge company. The visible part of the business is Reva, the vehicle

You have entered into licensed manufacturing agreement with US based Bannon Automotive to produce Reva locally. Is this a new revenue stream that Reva will explore going forward and would it further enter into similar JVs for licensed manufacturing?

We are in talks with Bannon Auto and they (talks) are very encouraging. We are yet to finalise an agreement with them.

We have explored talks with several players in the world. Five years hence, between licensed technology and licensed manufacturing, we will generate nearly 50% of our business.

Now, it takes 20 hours to assemble a car. The labour cost may be $40 in India and $500 in the US. What we are bringing to the table is affordable technologies that enable a cost effective solution. Consumers are looking at lowering carbon footprint and local manufacturing will gain traction. This also makes a lot more sense as regional requirements are different. What we are talking about is how franchisees can break even by producing less than 5,000 cars. The approach is a paradigm shift from how automobile manufacturing is looked at.

This low-cost, modular manufacturing plant platform will cost just 10s of millions of dollars as opposed to a few 100 million dollars for a conventional plant. This will enable manufacturing of vehicles in different countries closer to the markets where they are used.

What is the capacity of the Bommasandra (in Bangalore) plant and when will it get operational?

Our new plant with a capacity of 30,000 vehicles will be up and running next year. In many ways, it will be a baseline of how a plant should be put together. It is about a philosophy and mindset change of how to make a local and profitable car. The total investment on the facility is Rs 30 crore excluding land.

What about the new car launch? Will the existing Reva be phased out?

We are launching NXR, the family car platform, in the second quarter of next year. We will evaluate consumer thoughts and take a call on phasing out or continuing the existing Reva model. The next generation car NXG will be rolled out in 2011.

What is the scope of your pact with General Motors?

Licensed technology is a big (revenue) stream. The pact with General Motors to electrify their Spark range for the Indian market is a big one. We start with the Spark platform. We are going to review other products for the Indian market. We will be creating kit and technology to put into other platforms that GM makes in other parts of the world. We will start with India. We see it panning out as a substantial business over time.

What are the other business opportunities?

We are developing EV mobility solutions to fast-charge cars using telematics. To really make EV successful, we need to build infrastructure and easy mobility solutions around it. If the car falls low on energy, through sms technology, we will reach the vehicle for fast charging. We are also looking at electrifying a range of vehicles such as pickups, three wheelers and buses. We have received lot of interest from several players on technology licensing.

What is the kind of funding requirement to put all these plans in place?

These plans will require capital. We are transitioning to become more than an EV company. We will have to look at growth capital for the new businesses.

What has been the user experience so far?

Reva costs Rs 3.6 lakh.in Bangalore and under Rs 3 lakh in Delhi. It is a second car that people prefer to use for city driving. The economy of operations of Reva is low at 45 paise per km versus Rs 4 per km for regular cars. From an economy perspective, the total cost of ownership is low.

Our challenge is to remove batteries form cars and separate energy from the cars to lower the costs. The GM pact will allow us access to their distributors and also wider reach with the Spark EV platform.

At present, the cars run in Bangalore and London where there are 1,000 odd cars each. Some of them have successfully completed 1 lakh km. Our new platform is a family car that can seat four adults. It has European standards on safety, fast charging, telematics and easy user interfaces

India electric car pioneer plans biggest plug-in car plant

2009-11-30T21:52:00.001-08:00

Chetan Maini, the engineer who pioneered India’s first electric car, had his eureka moment two decades ago when he drove a vehicle fuelled by solar power across the blazing Australian outback.

Now Maini, the man behind Reva Electric Car Co., is building in southern India what he says will be the world’s biggest factory making battery-powered city commuter cars.

“It’s the first attempt at mass production of a green car,” said Maini, who studied hybrid electric technology at California’s Stanford University and developed the no-clutch, no-gears Reva as head of a 75-member engineering team.

“With growing climate change awareness, I think we’re at the tipping point for electric cars,” Maini told AFP in an interview.

The drive in 1990 which set Maini on his career track was a General Motors-sponsored solar-powered race in which his car finished third, beating many of the global car companies.

“Driving across the continent on the sun’s energy made me think how we could use alternative energy to power cars in the Indian context,” he said.

“When I saw how our cities were getting polluted, I realised employing clean, alternative energy could make a lot of sense — we needed to develop this kind of technology,” he said.

Maini has put some 3,000 of the zero-polluting three-door Revas on the roads in India and Britain — where it is known as the G-Wiz — in the eight years since the company started selling the cars.

Reva was formed in 1994 as a joint venture between the family-owned Maini Group and AEV of the United States to manufacture environment-friendly vehicles.

But it took seven years for the first Reva to go on sale as Maini and his team worked on the design.

Afterward, “we were in a test marketing phase, trying to see how people used electric cars, what were their needs. But that’s now over and we’re ready to move to the mass-market stage,” Maini said.

In September, Reva got a big endorsement when GM announced it would team up with the tiny car company to develop a plug-in version of the best-selling GM Spark mini-car as the US giant embraces electrically powered driving.

“We think their technology is the best,” said GM India president Karl Slym.

The Reva — named after Maini’s mother — can seat two adults and two children and cover 50 miles (80 kilometres) on a single charge of electricity. New models feature sleeker looks than the Reva, which resembles a modified golf-cart, and will offer greater distance.

The company’s next generation three-door, four-seater hatchback NXR is intended to be a family car and will go into production in 2010. It will have a top speed of 65 miles per hour and travel 100 miles on a single charge.

The car will go on sale for around 10,000 euros (15,000 dollars) and can be charged in 90 minutes.

The higher-end NXG will have a 125-mile range and an 80 mile per hour top speed and sell for 23,000 euros in Europe.

The price of the new vehicles is not fixed for India but the cars are expected to sell for “much less,” said Maini.

The Reva currently retails for around 350,000 rupees (7,500 dollars) and is built at a small factory outside the southern city of Bangalore.

Maini is targeting people who want a vehicle for city jaunts or as a second automobile.

The cost of running an electric car in India is a tenth of a petrol-fuelled car, Maini said. The car has no oil filters, spark plugs or radiators so maintenance costs are also low.

“Since we started, there’s been quite a big change in consumer mind-sets,” said Maini, whose love affair with cars began when he was a child assembling remote-controlled toy vehicles.

“We are also seeing a large policy shift by governments to environmentally friendly vehicles,” he added.

Maini is eyeing annual sales of “5,000 plus” for the next three years and then 30,000 annually from cars produced at his new Bangalore factory, which is being built with venture funding.

There is a large market as the infrastructure for electricity is widespread — even in India, he said.

“All you need is the installation of a standard plug point — 15 amps — that is used for an air conditioner or an iron. Most people only need a larger car if they are going out of town.”

The tie-up with GM is part of a three-pronged strategy for Reva which wants to make its own cars under the Reva brand, franchise production in countries such as the United States and license the company’s technology for use by global companies.

GM and Reva have promised the new electrically powered Spark mini-car will be on Indian roads in a year and they see a market later abroad.

2010 Reva NXG / 2010 Reva NGX

2009-11-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

2010 Reva NXG / 2010 Reva NGX

2010 Reva NXG front view

General Motors India and Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) accept entered into a accord acceding to advance electric cartage for the Indian market. This different affiliation will accompany calm two companies, accustomed in their own acreage to advance car platforms, electric agent technology and avant-garde ascendancy systems. Through this partnership, REVA will additionally advantage GM's ample administration arrangement in India to bazaar and advertise REVA's abutting bearing vehicles.The acceding was appear accordingly by Karl Slym, admiral and managing director, General Motors India and Chetan Maini, agent administrator and arch technology officer, REVA.

2010 Reva NXG side view

Karl Slym, Admiral and Managing Director, GM India said, "We are admiring to accompany easily with REVA to accompany affordable baby car belvedere based electric cartage to the bazaar in band with government objectives to abate deposit ammunition dependence. GM's adeptness to advance platforms and REVA's adequacy in developing electric drive-trains and ascendancy systems will aftereffect in, the customer accepting a added best of EVs. We are activity to be alive carefully with the Central and State Governments in India to advance basement for electric agent charging and accouterment specific banking allowances to consumers, who accomplish the best to accept an environment-friendly approach of claimed transport. The sales and account of REVA cars through GM dealerships will added strengthen the affiliation amid the two companies."

New 2010 Reva NXG

2010 Reva NGXSpeaking on the occasion, Chetan Maini, Agent Administrator and CTO, Reva Electric Car Company said, "This different accord symbolizes a all-around trendsetter for partnerships that will aftereffect in far extensive changes in the industry. Each of the ally will use its strengths, with the aim of authoritative India a all-around hub for the development and accomplish of electric cartage and accompanying technologies. I am acutely blessed that we accept begin a accomplice in GM India that shares our affection for abbreviation carbon emissions. Added the administration of REVA cars through GM dealerships will admission the bounded brand of REVA and accredit barter to accept an easier admission to credibility of sales and account beyond the country."

Development of baby electric cartage is a advance breadth about the all-around automotive industry and we are aflame that this cooperation with REVA in India will advance GM's advance to accommodated the arising needs in abounding genitalia of the world", said Nick Reilly , Admiral of GM International Operations. GM is advancing several activity alternatives and avant-garde technology options to accommodate the assorted needs of barter about the world. GM believes that electrically apprenticed vehicles, based on array and hydrogen ammunition corpuscle technology, action the best abiding band-aid for accouterment acceptable claimed transportation, he added. The two companies accept amorphous achievability studies of GM's agent platforms ancient aback to host the electric technology and they will advertise added capacity about the cartage soon.

Reva NXR and NXG are finally here-the world’s

2009-11-17T21:58:00.001-08:00

INDIA'S REVA ELECTRIC CAR MULLS CONTRACT MFG PLANTS IN US, EUROPE

2009-11-17T21:24:00.001-08:00

India's Reva Electric Car
Company on Sunday said it is scouting for partners in the US and Europe for setting up contract manufacturing facilities for its electric vehicles, besides doubling its overseas markets by 2011-12.

"We are at exploratory stages for setting up contract manufacturing facilities in overseas markets, including one in the US with Bannon Auto. No deals have been finalised so far, but we expect some positive results soon," Reva Electric Car Company President (Sales & Marketing) R Chandramouli said.

REVA had last week announced plans to explore options for a plant in Iceland, and had already tied-up with investment firm Northern Light Energy (NLE) to promote and market the electronic vehicles in the North Atlantic island nation.

"Talks have started in Iceland. We are also negotiating with local manufacturers in other countries as well," Chandramouli said.

He, however, declined to give details about the likely investments, size of the plants, branding and other issues.

Reva Electric Car sells its electric cars in 24 countries across the world and is aiming to double the markets.

"Our aim is to have the REVA brand in 50 countries by 2011-12. This is part of our strategy to increase the use of eco-friendly cars across the world," Chandramouli said.

REVA had showcased its NXR and the NXG concept cars in the Frankfurt Auto Fair in September, and the vehicles are scheduled for global launch in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Reva to Contract Manufacturing in US and Europe

2009-11-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

India’s foremost electric car maker, Reva is looking for partners in the US and Europe to set up manufacturing units in various countries. Reva has recently showcased two new models at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September. The company has been in news ever since then regarding its new electric car models. Currently Reva sells its models in more than 24 countries.

"We are at exploratory stages for setting up contract manufacturing facilities in overseas markets, including one in the US with Bannon Auto. No deals have been finalised so far, but we expect some positive results soon," said Reva Electric Car Company President (Sales & Marketing) R Chandramouli.

Reva is also ready to establish franchisee agreements with other companies that will cover three-wheelers, mini-buses and vans as well. Northern Lights Energy (NLE) has signed a deal with REVA Electric Car Company to expand the electric vehicle market in Iceland. NLE is developing charging infrastructure in the country and has exclusive distribution rights for REVA electric vehicles, including the recently announced NXR. The firm will launch the car by the end of next year. Last month, India’s REVA inked a deal to license its technology to Bannon Automotive to produce electric vehicles in the US.

Reva partners with Northern Lights Energy to bring NXR electric car to Iceland

2009-11-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

Reva Electric Car Company and Northern Lights Energy signed a deal today to bring electric vehicles to Iceland. Reva, as regular readers will know, is the Indian EV company that was once best known for the G-Wiz, a quadricycle that Jeremy Clarkson did not like. In September, Reva revealed its NXG and NXR models at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it is these newer, better looking vehicles that are destined for Iceland.

Starting in the second half of next year, Northern Lights Energy will begin marketing and selling the NXR and plans to deliver the first vehicles to customers by the end of 2010. The NXR can go about 100 miles per charge (which takes 90 minutes from a dedicated quick charger, eight hours from a standard outlet). Top speed is 65 mph. While Reva builds the cars, Northern Lights will develop a charging infrastructure in Iceland, where nearly 100 percent of the electricity is made from renewable resources (hydropower and geothermal, mostly), as part of its Project 2012. The NXG could follow the NXR to Iceland in 2011.

Reva also recently signed an agreement with GM India to develop and market an "affordable electric car," an electric Chevy Spark, in India. Reva is also working on a plan to build EVs in New York.

PRESS RELEASE:

Northern Lights Energy and Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) sign agreement to develop the Electric Vehicle market in Iceland.

Reykjavik, November 12, 2009: Northern Lights Energy (NLE), the initiator of the 2012 project and provider of infrastructure and services for Electric Vehicles (EV) based in Iceland has signed an agreement with REVA to jointly develop the electric vehicle market in Iceland. NLE will have exclusive distribution rights for the NXR, the new model premiered by REVA at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and consequent follow-up models, such as the sports coupé NXG, which will be launched in 2011. The sales and marketing of the car will commence in the second half of 2010 and customer deliveries at the end of 2010.
REVA today has the world's largest test fleet of electric cars, with more than 3,000 vehicles in 24 countries and more than 85 million kms of on road data. The company recently announced a joint venture with General Motors India to provide the electric powertrain and energy management systems for the new Chevrolet Spark and a new 30,000 unit REVA assembly plant – expected to be one of the greenest in the world – is under construction in India. Iceland is also being considered by REVA as a possible site for a European assembly plant. The REVA NXR is a four-seat, three-door hatchback family car suitable for urban driving. Top speed is 104 kph with a range of 160 kms per charge. If using the 90 minute fast charge (normal charging is eight hours), the REVA NXR offers an effective range of 320km a day. A fast charge for 15 minutes will provide a 40 km range.

NLE is working on developing a (re)charging infrastructure system for Electric Vehicles and vehicle exchange service to support the adoption of electric vehicles in Iceland. "Iceland is an island and with its advanced electric grid technology using 100% renewable energy in electricity production is a perfect location for zero emission electric vehicles" says Gisli Gislason, the Chairman of NLE. In addition to importing new EV models to Iceland, NLE is also working on developing systems to convert the current internal combustion engine (ICE) car fleet into Electric Cars. "We are working with a number of parties in Denmark and Finland to enable the conversion process of the current cars running in Iceland to support a swift development of the Electric Vehicle market. The mission is to place Iceland in the forefront of countries that uses sustainable energy sources for it's personal vehicle fleet, moving away from fossil fuels, saving billions of ISKs for the society and reducing the 680.000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is annually being emitted by the personal vehicle fleet in Iceland. This is what the Project 2012 is all about." says Sighvatur Lárusson, the Chief Operating Officer of NLE. "

"We are very excited about the partnership with NLE. The 2012 project is one of the most ambitious yet achievable transport electrification projects in the world today and we are pleased to be able to contribute our technologies and products" said Keith Johnston, President, European Operations at REVA.

The signing will take place at the Indian Embassy, Skulagata 17, Reykjavik, Iceland at 12:00 midday on November 12th 2009.

About NLE:

Northern Lights Energy is an Icelandic investment company, targeting environmental friendly projects, leading in the field of environmental and renewable energy solutions. Profitable, but in harmony with nature and communities.

Project 2012 is an initiative of Northern Lights Energy which has committed to build in Iceland, the first nationwide charging infrastructure in the world, before the yearend 2012.

Importing and distributing EV´s in Iceland is a key factor for us to be able to reach our goal.

www.nle.is

About REVA:

1. REVA is the brand of the Reva Electric Car Company, a Bangalore-based company formed as a joint venture between Maini Group of India and AEV LLC of California and backed by US investors Global Environment Fund and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Today, REVA is selling, or being test marketed, in 24 countries worldwide and has the largest deployed fleet of electric cars on the market with over 3,000 EVs on the road and more than 70 million kilometres of user experience.

2. REVA's business model includes: electric vehicle design, development and manufacture, electric vehicle technology licensing and electric vehicle manufacturing franchising. REVA develops all key technologies including energy management, fast-charge and telematics systems in-house.

3. European distribution is in the following countries: Norway, UK, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Hungary, Portugal, Cyprus and Greece with other distributors being appointed over the next few months.

4. The company is building a new ultra low carbon vehicle assembly plant in Bangalore, with a capacity of 30,000 units per annum, to accommodate increased production and is planning to introduce even more measures to ensure that it has the cleanest and greenest production.

5. 'Dust-to-dirt' is a term used for the complete lifecycle of a car from the carbon emissions generated in the parts manufacture, assembly, operation and disposal / recycling of a REVA electric car. This is a commitment and the beginning of the process that will take time to determine, starting with the assembly and operation and then extending down the supply chain to tier 1 suppliers and up to second life / end of life.

6. For fleets and institutions wishing to place early confirmed orders with a view to obtaining subsidies, REVA will provide an all-in price including car and batteries on a cash or lease basis.

7. REVA electric cars have no tailpipe emissions. The amount of C02 per km varies depending on a country's electricity generation method. When charged with renewable energy, REVA vehicles are zero emissions.

8. REVive addresses 'range anxiety'. The amount of reserve energy in a battery depends on several parameters including the temperature, usage (that day and historically) and the age of the batteries. The REVA support centre assesses information from the car via telematics (information and communication technology) to calculate the amount of reserve energy available for that particular car. Then, within a few minutes the digital display will indicate 'Revive' and the 'distance to empty' gauge will display the additional amount of range available and the driver can continue their journey.

Reva plans electric car plant in Iceland

2009-11-12T20:36:00.001-08:00

Bangalore-based Reva Electric Car Company today said it is planning to set up an assembling plant in Iceland, and has joined hands with investment firm Northern Light Energy for developing electric vehicles for the North Atlantic island nation.

Northern Lights Energy (NLE), the initiator of the 2012 project and provider of infrastructure and services for Electric Vehicles (EV) based in Iceland has signed an agreement with REVA to jointly develop the electric vehicle market in Iceland.

NLE will have exclusive distribution rights for the NXR, the new model premiered by REVA at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and consequent follow-up models, such as the sports coupé NXG, which will be launched in 2011. The sales and marketing of the car will commence in the second half of 2010 and customer deliveries at the end of 2010.

REVA today has the world’s largest test fleet of electric cars, with more than 3,000 vehicles in 24 countries and more than 85 million kms of on road data. The company recently announced a joint venture with General Motors India to provide the electric powertrain and energy management systems for the new Chevrolet Spark and a new 30,000 unit REVA assembly plant – expected to be one of the greenest in the world – is under construction in India. Iceland is also being considered by REVA as a possible site for a European assembly plant. The REVA NXR is a four-seat, three-door hatchback family car suitable for urban driving. Top speed is 104 kph with a range of 160 km per charge. If using the 90 minute fast charge (normal charging is eight hours), the REVA NXR offers an effective range of 320km a day. A fast charge for 15 minutes will provide a 40 km range.
Vehicles and vehicle exchange service to support the adoption of electric vehicles in Iceland. “Iceland is an island and with its advanced electric grid technology using 100 per cent renewable energy in electricity production is a perfect location for zero emission electric vehicles” says Gisli Gislason, the chairman of NLE. In addition to importing new EV models to Iceland, NLE is also working on developing systems to convert the current internal combustion engine (ICE) car fleet into Electric Cars. “We are working with a number of parties in Denmark and Finland to enable the conversion process of the current cars running in Iceland to support a swift development of the Electric Vehicle market. The mission is to place Iceland in the forefront of countries that uses sustainable energy sources for its personal vehicle fleet, moving away from fossil fuels, saving billions of ISKs for the society and reducing the 680.000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is annually being emitted by the personal vehicle fleet in Iceland. This is what the Project 2012 is all about.” says Sighvatur Lárusson, the chief operating officer of NLE. “

“We are very excited about the partnership with NLE. The 2012 project is one of the most ambitious yet achievable transport electrification projects in the world today and we are pleased to be able to contribute our technologies and products” said Keith Johnston, president, European Operations at REVA.

It is to be mentioned that Northern Lights Energy is an Icelandic investment company, targeting environmental friendly projects, leading in the field of environmental and renewable energy solutions. Project 2012 is an initiative of Northern Lights Energy which has committed to build in Iceland, the first nationwide charging infrastructure in the world, before the yearend 2012.

NXR and NXG, two stunners from Reva's stable

2009-11-12T02:37:00.001-08:00

When the entire automobile industry is racing towards the age of electricity, the Reva Electric Car Company is leading from the front as it prepares to launch two new models - Reva NXR and NXG.

The Reva Electric Car Co. has joined forces with Bannon Automotive, a new electric car company in Freeport, New York, to assemble the three-door plug-in hatchback NXR at a site in the Syracuse area.

The three-door, four-seater NXR is more spacious compared to the previous models of the carmaker. It can accelerate to a maximum speed of 105 km/h with a range of 160 kilometers on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. Moreover, the car will come with a 15-minute fast-charge capability, even though the full charge would take eight hours from a standard household outlet.

Other exciting features of the Reva NXR include keyless entry and operation, dual charge ports, intelligent digital display and a host of telematics. These include SMS alerts and commands such as distance-to-empty and time-to-full charge, remote cabin heat/cool, service and insurance alerts, a monthly eco-drive check by email and healing and REVive remote emergency charge.

In case a customer runs out of charge, they can call or SMS Reva's 24X7 customer support centre and a remote charge enables the Reva new models to continue driving within a few minutes.

Meanwhile, another e-mini is taking birth in the Reva stable, the NXG. Wide as a supercar, the NXG's muscular styling and design are both futuristic and sensual. It will be more powerful with a top speed of 130km/h and an efficiency of 200 km per charge. The NXG also comes with REVive 4 Wheel disc brakes with integrated regenerative braking, along with all the advanced technologies that the NXR possesses.

"The two cars target two different consumer sets. The NXR is perfect second car; it is automatic, easy to drive, park and safe. It will have optional solar panels on the top. The NXG, on the other hand, is a complete lifestyle fun car," said Mr. Chetan Maini, Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Chairman of Reva Electric Car Company.

The Reva NXR Intercity, excluding its lithium-ion batteries, will be about Rs 10.65 lakh, meanwhile the Reva NXR City, with lead acid batteries and a range of 80km, will be priced at about Rs 7.1 lakh. But, there is no word on when - and whether - the NXR and NXG will be launched in India.

However, the unveiling of NXR and NXG at the Frankfurt Show was a remarkable step ahead in what is sure to be an intriguing journey for Electric Vehicle users worldwide.

Only Reva NXR can activate a reserve amount of energy

2009-11-12T02:21:00.000-08:00

The Indian-produced Reva NXR, a lithium-ion powered electric car which will go into production early 2010, will be a three-door, four-seater hatchback. If a customer runs out of power, they can SMS or call the customer support centre. The advanced telematics feature will assess the car's batteries remotely. It can then activate a reserve amount of energy. Within minutes, a few extra kilometres of range are made available While telematics are now a feature of most new vehicles

The Experienced Reva Fact Sheet

2009-11-11T23:20:00.000-08:00

The Experienced REVA Fact Sheet

Note

1. All facts based on over 1 year of daily usage in the city of Bombay, India.
2. I’m not selling these cars. This info is to enligthen people who always wanted to know more about the car.
3. I strongly believe that people who care about our planet, the environment we live in and the future of today’s children will definitely get one.

Basics

- It’s a 100% Electric Car that works on Batteries.
- No Fuel. No Exhaust. NO POLLUTION!
- It’s a very comfortable 2-seater car. (They have 2 more seats at the back but they fold and I use it as a nice large boot. 2 small kids could fit if you like.)

Range

- A full charge gives you a min. 40km to 70km depending on how much you use the AC. The company states 80km under test conditions but none of us drive under ‘Test Conditions’, do we? :-)

Speed
Top speed I’ve done is 85 km/h. Maximum speed as per company specs: 100 km/h.

Charging

- Charging is done on a regular 15Amp 3-pin plug that we have at home.
- A 100% full charge takes 8 hours (I leave it overnight as there is an automatic cut-off)
- A 90% charge takes about 3 hours.

Running Cost

A full charge consumes 9 units of electricity. This works out to less than Rs. 80/-

Comparison to Petrol
A petrol car city average works out to over Rs. 5 per km.
The Reva city average works out to between 0.80 paise to Rs. 1.50p per km.

Overall, it’s a even greater savings as there’s no maintenance cost like a engine based car, except battery water, which costs nothing.

Cost etc.

The car starts at 3.5 lacs and depending on the features can go up to 4.5 lacs. Incentive from government : Depreciation in 1st year: 80%.

FAQ:

Q1. What if I run out of battery power between Point A & Point B?
A1. Frankly, there’s a Power Gauge (like a Fuel gauge) which tells you how much power you have so you can easily plan your travel. From personal experience and info from other users, NOBODY has ever had that problem. Also, the on-board computer system automatically warns you and shifts into a economy mode when your battery is really low so you can reach a charging point.

Q2. How is the pickup?
A2. Surprisingly awesome! I can shoot of first from a signal before anyone else. This was one of my primary concerns before I bought mine.

Q3. Is climbing hills a problem?
A2. Not at all. It goes up swiftly and the car even has a Boost Mode switch for that extra power you may need.

Reva’s website:
http://www.revaindia.com/index.html

New website
http://www.revaglobal.com/

Reva In Negotiations to Build Electric Cars in New Zealand

2009-11-10T21:01:00.001-08:00

An Indian company is eyeing up Christchurch as a manufacturing base for 30,000 electric cars, spurred on by New Zealand’s new free trade agreement with China.

But the deal – understood to be under negotiation - is partially contingent on securing $US20 million private capital from New Zealand investors.

according to the source http://www.nbr.co.nz

An Indian company is eyeing up Christchurch as a manufacturing base for 30,000 electric cars, spurred on by New Zealand’s new free trade agreement with China.

But the deal – understood to be under negotiation - is partially contingent on securing $US20 million private capital from New Zealand investors.

The company, Reva, is a joint venture with a New York based fund, but based in Bangalore. It has the largest deployed fleet of electric cars in 24 countries worldwide, with 3000 EVs (electric vehicles) on the road.

A New Zealand manufacturing base could provide up to 400 jobs and earn the country $100 million in exports.

Investment New Zealand’s manager of clean technology Chris Mulcare said New Zealand’s brand positioning, renewable energy, research and development and FTA with China made the country an attractive option.

“New Zealand is a nexus between India and China,” he said at this week’s New Zealand Private Equity Venture Capital Association conference.

New Zealand had potential to become the nexus between the two countries in other areas of clean technology, Mr Mulcare said.

Christchurch was a good fit, as it already had a manufacturing hub, with many companies already servicing the automotive industry, including hybrid city bus company, Designline, he said.

“It’s a good opportunity to develop a bridge with India and capitalising on the high level of skill we have in engineering and technology services, along with our boutique manufacturing businesses.”

Reva’s NXR and NXG cars are designed to use about 80% fewer parts than a conventional or hybrid car, and are manufactured in different markets using solar power, cleaned with rainwater and in Europe, their lithium ion batteries are recycled.

At the conference, Mr Mulcare was asked about a conflict between EV’s and biofuel. “Biofuels will be challenged by the availability of biomass, until you get marine algae into the play, but you’re not going to have electric airplanes either.

“There are multiple options and they can both sit alongside each other.”

Retaining ownership?
New Zealand does not have the capital needed to develop clean-tech plants and a licensing play is a better model, according to The Warehouse founder Stephen Tindall.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Tindall endorsed biofuel company LanzaTech, one of the most promising clean-tech investments for his K1W1 angel investor company.

LanzaTech is targeting China’s steel mill industry, using its proprietary microbe to produce ethanol and high value chemicals from industry off-gas, reformed methane and syngas.

Ethanol had potential to grow to a $113 billion industry by 2020, he said.

Asked how to retain ownership and a dividend flow for New Zealand investors, Mr Tindall said the goal was to have as much ownership as possible, while following a licensing model that took a percentage per litre.

“Let the steel companies put in plants and we take as much as we can.”

In the last week, Mr Tindall said two other technologies with even bigger potential had approached the company.

After the meeting, he said he was bound by non-disclosure agreements and K1W1 was undertaking due diligence.

This would include taking New Zealand based technology and IP and licensing it around the world, he said.

“There is nowhere near enough New Zealand capital to fund these [manufacturing and production plants] in different countries.”

Reva will save them a ton of money in fuel costs is often lost on consumers

2009-11-09T23:38:00.000-08:00

With the rise of environmentalism and the high cost of gasoline, it would seem that the electric car would take off. Not so fast, says Bangalore-based writer Shoba Narayan in this opinion piece. Although companies like the Reva Electric Car Company are advancing the cause and major auto makers are likely to follow suit, Indian consumers need to be convinced they will achieve substantial savings and that there is enough infrastructure in place to support electric vehicles before they will be willing to open their wallets.

India has millions of people to house, power grids to expand and factories to fuel. They all involve hydrocarbons. How, then, is a developing economy to grow sustainably? One answer may lie in a small electric car being manufactured right here in Bangalore.

The Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) just announced a plan to build its second manufacturing unit, which some say will be the largest such facility in the world. Naturally, the new factory will meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ratings standards, with rainwater harvesting, solar power and natural ventilation. With a capacity for 30,000 cars, the facility will be operational in two years, according to the company. RECC also plans to develop a larger sedan that will comfortably seat four, compared to its zippy but tiny current model. More importantly, the new Reva L-ion will have a range of 120 kilometers compared to the current model's 80 kilometers per charge. While the current car battery takes a few hours to charge, the new model will achieve 90% of its charge in an hour using a fast-charge port option. All very good -- but why aren't customers lining up?

I wanted to buy a Reva. My husband and I fit its target customer profile: educated, well-travelled, passionate environmentalists. One morning a couple of years ago, we went to the showroom -- just off tony Lavelle Road in Bangalore -- to check out the models. Contrary to common belief, these tiny cars are not lightweight. With a solid frame and heavy doors, Reva's bulky body comforts just as much as it small interior constrains. To my husband, a firm believer of free markets, it all boiled down to numbers: Why weren't more Revas plying Indian roads? There must be something wrong with the car if more people aren't buying it, he said. Numbers never lie.

Value Conscious Consumers

The answer, I found out, lies in the axis between economics, politics and old-fashioned marketing. Mohanjit Jolly, executive director of venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) India moved to Bangalore two years ago. DFJ plans to invest US$75 million in India out of its US$600 million DFJ IX Fund. The company is an early investor in RECC, and Jolly is on its board. I cornered him one morning and asked him the question that had been bugging me: Why didn't I buy a Reva? In other words, why was the car such a hard sell to Indian consumers?

"India is a very finicky market," said Jolly. "Often, decisions are made, not based on the overall total cost of ownership but rather the upfront cost of the vehicle." According to Jolly, the fact that Reva will save them a ton of money in fuel costs is often lost on consumers. "The Indian consumer is extremely value conscious and often equates size with price. So, if another vehicle of equal size is available for a lower upfront price from a known manufacturer, why would he or she buy a Reva?"

Why indeed? My sister-in-law owns a Reva, but for the most pragmatic of reasons. Trained as a driver in the U.K., she wanted a car with automatic gear shift and the Reva fit. She, too, is an environmentalist, which played into the choice but wasn't the prime motivation. The automatic gear-shift and the car's inherent stylishness was. I drive her Reva around Bangalore and pretend to be cool.

Several environmentally inclined Indians I know considered the Reva before buying other cars for all the reasons Jolly mentioned and then some. Many in Mumbai live in high-rises without convenient plug points to charge an electric car in their basement parking garage. Mothers wondered if the Reva's small size would be safe for travelling with babies. Also, what if they ran out of charge while on the highway? Families with live-in grandparents couldn't fit into the Reva. India's skewed taxes also added to the problem. Road taxes, fuel surcharges and others led to differential pricing. Chandigarh and Delhi had significant subsidies for electric cars, while Maharashtra had none -- so that a Reva that cost under Rs. 3 lakhs in Delhi was sold in Bombay for more than Rs. 4 lakhs. One friend contemplated buying a Reva in Delhi and driving it down to Bombay, but plotting his itinerary to accommodate electric plug points drove him nuts, he said.

RECC's next model will address most of these issues about comfort, safety, range, speed, carrying capacity, time to charge and others, Jolly says. "To address the price sensitive, value conscious consumer, Reva is coming up with a flexible business model whereby the price of the battery will be removed from the upfront price of the car, and the customer can choose to lease the battery on a monthly basis. That will provide an apples-to-apples comparison in terms of the battery cost versus fuel cost."

Solar Beginnings

The man behind the Reva is a tall, strapping 39-year-old who was named by Businessweek in 2009 as one of India's 50 most powerful people. With his goatee and glasses, Chetan Kumar Maini, deputy chairman and chief technological officer (CTO) of RECC looks like a Silicon Valley professor but he is in fact an outdoorsman who rides mountain- and motor-bikes in his spare time. As a child, Maini used to take apart and build cars. He received a Master's degree in hybrid electric technology from Stanford, but the real "turning point," he says, happened while he was an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, when he got involved in a solar car project and subsequent solar car race. His team built and raced a solar car in the U.S. -- and, as it happened, came in first. Later that year, in 1990, General Motors sponsored the team to race in the World Solar Challenge in Australia where they came in third. Their vehicle, called "Sunrunner," beat many of the big American auto companies. The average age of the Sunrunner team: 21. "The fact that we could cross a continent [more than 3000 km] purely on the sun's energy really got me thinking of the potential of electric vehicle technology, especially in a country like India," says Maini. "And when I came back to Bangalore that summer and saw the pollution and traffic, it started to dawn on me that getting this kind of technology into places like India was exactly what was needed."

The Maini Group -- Chetan is the youngest of three sons -- was already involved in a variety of businesses, from building materials to precision components. The Reva Electric Car Company is Chetan Maini's brainchild, named after his mother. Reva, appropriately enough, means "one that moves" in Sanskrit. Some say that it means "a new beginning." According to news reports, ex-U.S. Ambassador Frank Wisner suggested using Maini's mother's name because it had the letters "EV" (for "electric vehicle") in it.

According to Maini, forming the company was happenstance. "A few of us friends talked about building a company in the electric vehicle space. My friends' father was planning to start a company in California [AEV LLC] based on new technologies and liked our idea, and I started to work for that company. Later, that company and Maini Group joined hands to develop electric vehicles."

Maini also worked with a friend of his father's, Lon Bell, the U.S. inventor who is listed on RECC's site as a company co-founder and member of the board. "Technology and transportation excite me," says Maini. The fact that EVs provide a solution to mitigate climate change has got me even more involved. This also makes business sense as solutions for climate change and energy security are going to be the challenges for the next decade."

The Reva is currently being sold in United Kingdom, Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Norway, Spain, Ireland, Japan and Srilanka, and being test marketed in Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Nepal. Of all the markets, it is popular in Bangalore, London and Oslo, according to Maini.

In Oslo, it is a popular choice for its environmental credentials but also because it gets tax breaks. "However, the main reason for its popularity in Oslo is that in a Reva, you get to drive in the bus lanes, which for commuters means at least an extra half-hour's sleep every Monday to Friday," Maini notes. "To nudge motorists' behavior, you need a combination of environmental credentials and fiscal incentives -- the two are definitely needed to kick start the market."

London has kick-started the market through tax incentives. The Reva is marketed in London under the G-Wiz brand and exempt from the London Congestion Charge. Riders of G-Wiz in London can park and charge for free, which adds to its image as a "cool commuting" car popularized by celebrities and media people. This past April, the UK government also unveiled a plan which gave carbon discounts to Electric Vehicles. It wasn't negligible, either: 5,000 pounds, to be exact. "Here's 5,000 pounds. Go buy an electric car," said British headlines.

Why wasn't India offering carbon discounts? Why had the Reva sold only 3,000 cars since 2001 to a nation of one billion, with at least one million car owners?

'For Electric Cars, You Need Electricity'

That question led me to India's Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh. Ramesh is the sort of minister you wouldn't mind having a drink with. He spent five years in the U.S. without owning a car, and is a huge believer in public transportation. I cold-emailed him asking for an interview. A short while later came the reply: "Sure, give me a number." Indian netas (politicians) aren't this responsive. Usually, there are several layers of buffers -- peons, bureaucrats, personal assistants. But Ramesh isn't your average minister. He is, according to bureaucrats, "incorruptible." So we spoke about sustainability, India and carbon discounts.

Why, I asked, weren't electric cars popular in India? "For electric cars, you need electricity, yaar," Ramesh replied, using the casual verbal tic that everyone from corporate CEOs to Mumbai cab drivers use. Yaar means "friend," but it is the verbal equivalent of, say, "dude." It is what important people who don't take themselves too seriously say to inquisitive journalists. Ramesh then proceeded to tell me about fuel cells and hydrogen cars. He wants to make all government vehicles electric. "You know, the government uses a lot of cars and most are gas-spewing Ambassadors," he said. He wants to get the gas-electric hybrid Toyota Prius into India by January 2010, plans to purchase an electric vehicle (the Tata Indica) for himself soon, and hopes to convert all government vehicles into more sustainable ones. The problem-- and I say this with my tongue only partly in my cheek (and certainly I didn't tell Ramesh this) -- is that most politicians and their accompanying entourage won't fit into a Reva. Certainly, Jayalalithaa, the corpulent erstwhile chief minister (governor) of my home-state, Tamilnadu, won't. But electric cars aren't the main thrust of Ramesh's sustainability solutions; public transport is. The cabinet approved a biofuel policy, he tells me. "But private transport is a recipe for disaster. We need a huge investment in public transport. An urban renewal mission, almost."

Today, many Indian cities are moving towards public transport. Delhi has a world-class metro and Bangalore is building one. Mumbai has its train system, and second-tier cities are exploring options. But when all is said and done, India is an aspirational developing economy. Owning a car, for many, indicates that they have arrived. The Tata Nano might be an environmental disaster by making cars even more accessible, but it has also (forgive me) electrified the auto world. Even Maini appreciates the Nano for its "innovation in auto engineering." Ramesh says that the Nano will give "mobility to the masses," and so it will. "The Nano is a phenomenal achievement by any means," says DFR's Jolly. "Quite honestly, it's a matter of time before most, if not all, vehicles become all electric or hybrids. The Nano, I am sure, will follow that path. I also wouldn't be surprised if Tata is already working on it, and there have been some rumors about that recently as well."

No rumor. Tata company's chairman, Ratan Tata, has, on two occasions spoken about his company's plans to develop an electric car. At the company's annual meeting last year, he said that they were developing one. In June 2009, at the Cornell Global Forum on Sustainable Global Enterprise, Tata mentioned that his company's electric car would be in the market by fall of 2009. Tata's distribution network would give its electric car an immediate fillip. Mahindra & Mahindra is also planning a four-seater electric car in 2010. Tara Tiny, an EV from India's Tara International and China's Aucma, plans to retail at Rs. 99,000 -- lower than the Tata Nano. The Ajanta group, which specializes in clock making, also plans to release its low-cost EV -- the Oreva Super, priced below Rs. 1 lakh. The Tamilnadu government just alloted 100 acres of land to Bavina, a Chennai-based company that plans to produce 25,000 units in partnership with American electric car specialist, Velozzi SpA.

An Unsure Bet

The key for Reva, according to Jolly, will be to differentiate based on a broader and deeper knowledge of electric vehicles than any company globally. He is biased, of course, being on its board and all, but his view is that the Reva, with its revamped product design and marketing savvy, can make a dent in the minds of the Indian auto customer. "With scale, the cost will also reduce which will make it possible for Reva to provide better value for the money than any of its competitors globally," he says.

Still, electric vehicles are an unsure bet in India. The average Indian environmentalist is a pastiche of fervid idealism and ruthless pragmatism. What opens wallets, in the end, is demonstrable savings. Solar water heaters, for instance, are a big hit, even among older conservative Indians. My octogenarian uncle just got several solar panels installed in his Bangalore bungalow using infallible logic: "I am 80 now. Even if I live for three more years, the Rs. 500 I save per month in electricity bills is worth this Rs. 15,000 investment."

Cars cost more than Rs. 15,000, which is part of the problem. The other issue is the tangled Indian bureaucracy with different tax rates for different states. One thing that Ramesh and other government officials could do to help -- and I know that this is easier said than done -- is streamline auto taxes. Why have different tax structures in different states? With each change in government, policies change. India has no coherent, long-reaching environmental policy that can develop incrementally, regardless of which party is in power. "When we launched in 2001, the taxes for automobiles were doubled," says Maini. "At one point, the subsidies for alternate energy vehicles were completely removed as the Government had a lot of difficulties in comprehending such an innovative product from India."

RECC ended up working with multiple agencies, both in India and abroad, on formulating regulations and policies for electric vehicles. Today, some governments are proactive. Delhi, for instance, under Sheila Dixit, has come up with several incentives for customers who buy a Reva. Simply put, buying a Reva in Delhi is Rs. 1.5 lakhs cheaper than anywhere else (where the car retails for Rs. 4.5 lakhs).

Another unresolved concern has to do with infrastructure: plug points for electric vehicles. Ideally, these would be standardized and widely available so that a driver who owns a Tara Tiny or a Reva could charge their cars using the same plug point. RECC is working on rapid recharging stations where a Reva can be driven to what looks like a diesel or petrol pump and get a decent charge in about five to 10 minutes -- about the time it takes to fill your car with gas. Charge points are already available in Bangalore's Garuda Mall and other parking spaces. Over time, dedicated electric vehicle parking spots -- which double as charging stations -- need to be created.

The bottom line, as Jolly says, is that "people need to see more and more Revas on the road. Once they do, at least the consumer-led issues will be put to rest."

There is a certain inevitability to the development of electric vehicles. With research on the hydrogen fuel cell, lithium ion batteries and sophisticated hybrids, electric vehicles are part of our collective future. Even General Motors, perceived by many as an aging behemoth "who killed the electric car," according to a 2006 documentary, is coming up with the Chevrolet Volt which is expected to achieve 230 miles per gallon in the city through a mixture of lithium ion battery and gas. As Jolly says, "Initially, they may be the second- or third- [choice] car for short hops, but eventually as technology gets better and people simply start getting more comfortable with the concept, it will indeed be mainstream, not an exception. And that time is not decades, but years away."

The challenge for Reva and other EV companies is to stay ahead of the curve with respect to technology. More importantly, they have to coax warring state governments into offering subsidies to dithering customers who will then get off the fence and commit to an electric car. If this happens, it is not just good for the individual car companies involved; it is great for India and indeed, the planet.

Superstore Fills The Power Of Electric Cars

2009-11-09T01:58:00.001-08:00

Electric cars such as the Reva G-Wiz typically have a range of about 70 miles on a full battery, which takes up to eight hours to charge.
But an hour and a half plugged in to the charge point is enough to get the battery up to 80% full.
The store is billing the network as an "electric vehicle superhighway", but at the Islington branch visited by Sky News they are yet to be used by a customer.
Environmental affairs manager Jack Cunningham said it was early days as the network has only just been opened.
He said that the aim of the initiative was to cater for existing customers known to use electric cars, rather than attract more business from environmentally-friendly shoppers.
However, he admitted it was part of a longer-term strategy to make sure the chain was in pole position to capitalise as green concerns come to dictate more of our shopping and spending habits in future.
"It's part of our strategy to enable our customers to be more environmentally responsible," he told Sky News.
"We believe longer term that this kind of technology is going to be very important, so it's important for us to start providing it at this early stage."
The scheme is also designed to tie in with Mayor Boris Johnson's aim of making London the "electric vehicle capital of Europe".
Mr Johnson said: "I warmly welcome the arrival of Sainsbury's network... which will put half of all London's population within three miles of a charge point."
The power for the recharging points is supplied by EDF, whose electricity the supermarket already sells under its Sainsbury's Energy brand.
If the takeup is big enough, the scheme will be rolled out to other major cities in the UK.
Charge points can now be found at Sainsbury's stores in Beckton, Camden, Chiswick, Cromwell Road, East Dulwich, Greenwich Peninsula, Islington, North Cheam and Sydenham.
The Wandsworth and Whitechapel branches will get them later this month.

Reva NXR and NXG are finally here-the world’s most successful electric car becomes a real car.

2009-11-05T00:56:00.001-08:00

REVA Electric Car Company (REVA) said a few days ago that the REVA NXR will enter production in 2010. The car will be sold as a 2011 model. It is a 3 door, 4 seater car for city families. While this is the first car which will come to our homes from the Reva stable, a much more promising product is the Reva NXG which goes into production in 2011. NXG is a 2 door hatchback with removable convertible style top and a range of 200 kms.

Specifications for Reva NXR

Battery: Litium Ion
Recharge time: Complete in 8 hours
90% recharge in 90 minutes
15 minute recharge gives 40 km of driving
Range: 160 km ( Can easily give 320 km of driving a day using instant charging )
Top Speed: 104 km/h

Specifications for Reva NXG

Battery: Litium Ion Phosphate
Recharge time: Complete in 8 hours
90% recharge in 90 minutes
15 minute recharge gives 40 km of driving
Range: 200 km ( Can easily give 400 km of driving a day using instant charging )
Top Speed: 130 km/h

Here are 5 reasons to buy a Reva:

1. Amazing Range -The average inter city travel of an average driver in Delhi is 39.78 Km. With a range of 200 kms in NXG and 160 km. in NXR, most of the problems related to electric vehicles being short ranged and only useful for neighbourhood shopping can go to sleep once and for all.
2. ReViVe Technology – The REVA support centre assesses information from the car via telematics (information and communication technology) to calculate the amount of reserve energy available for that particular car. Then, within a few minutes the digital display will indicate ‘Revive’ and the ‘distance to empty’ gauge will display the additional amount of range available and the driver can continue their journey. It puts an end to ‘Range anxiety’.
3. Tons of Torque – With a powerful motor and a short burst system which provides extra torque for a short period of time. And a a top speed of 130kms brings it in the league of ‘normal’ cars.
4. No Noise and No Pollution – A car which is clean on your environmental conscious and has no engine noise.
5. Dirt cheap compared to other cars on running and maintenance costs – with a cost of 40 paisa per km, it has one of the lowest running costs. Also, with crude reluctant to come below Rs. 50, it makes more sense to invest in the Reva. One sure shot way to beat inflation. 

And not to mention the cool looks that draw instant admiration and the unique features like remote AC control which allows you to turn it on some time before you enter the car and Integrated communications console.
And to make it an irresistible buy, Reva Company offers an on road service which recharges your car in case you run out of charge and are stranded.

Reva to launch Reva NXR and NXG

2009-11-05T00:52:00.000-08:00

Reva Electric Car Company is ready to launch the two stunning models Reva NXR in the early January of 2010 and Reva NXG in 2011. The Electric Car Company has joined hands with Bannon Automotive to bring out the models.

Reva NXR is a three-door car housing four-seats. The model has come up with more space compare to its predecessor. It can accelerate a maximum speed of 105 km/hr with a range of 160 kilometers on a single charge of the lithium-ion battery. It takes 8 hours for full charging of the lithium-ion battery from a general household outlet.

Special features supported by the models include Keyless entry and its operation, Dual charge ports, its Digital display including sms alerts. It also includes Insurance alert, monthly eco-drive check by email etc.

If the car runs out of the charge, customer can take the help of 24/7 customer support service, they offer remote charge which enables the car to continue driving within a short span of time.

The two cars are designed by the company to target two sets of consumers. NXR is automatic and it makes to feel very comfy while driving. It also has an optional solar panel on the top.

NXG is a lifestyle fun car with a price of 7.1 lakh is hitting the market in 2011 where as NXR has a price tag of 10.65 lakh excluding its lithium-ion batteries.

EV Maker Reva Plans Factory Near Syracuse, NY

2009-11-04T03:23:00.001-08:00

The Reva Electric Car Co., an Indian automaker, has chosen upstate New York to locate its future electric vehicle factory, the Associated Press reported.
The automaker plans to work with Bannon Automotive, a new electric car company in Freeport, N.Y., to assemble a three-door plug-in hatchback called the NXR. The electric vehicle can reach speeds of 65 mph with a range of 100 miles on a single charge of the car's lithium-ion battery.

Bannon Automotive has an exclusive North American licensing deal with Reva, and the companies will spend $26.5 million on the plant, the Post-Standard of Syracuse reported. Bannon plans to renovate a 150,000-square-foot building in Clay, a suburb of Syracuse, for the factory.

Bannon has also reportedly applied for $40 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy and $12 million in loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency. These loan applications are still pending.

Based in Bangalore, India, Reva unveiled its three-door NXR hatchback last month at an international auto show in Frankfurt, Germany.

Reva was founded in 1994 as a joint venture between the Maini Group of India and AEV LLC, a California-based company.

In September, Reva Electric Car Co. drew industry notice when General Motors revealed plans to use Reva's drive train technology in the electric version of the Chevrolet Spark, which will go on sale in India by the end of next year.

Revenge of Reva is now

2009-10-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

The electric car is the promise of major manufacturers in 2012 but some 15 years believes in this technology and has already put hundreds of thousands of road vehicles with electric traction without being too noticeable. And 'the Reva Electric Car Company, a little-known Indian in Italy, but which in fact is the first manufacturer in the world of electric cars with something like 30 thousand units per year. Numbers make pale giants like Tata Motors, General Motors and Toyota. However, even if the Riva boasts the fleet to electric power largest in the world, alone can not withstand the challenges of the market and is looking for partners moving in three directions: to build models more attractive with the brand Riva alliances with other producers to lower the costs of assembling and "sell" their responsibility to giants like General Motors.

The game is indeed worth far more than you might think. At stake are the thousands of dollars put into the pot from the White House and the other millions of euros the European Union. Just today, for example, Brussels has promised 23 in a pilot project for the development of electricity and is doing the same thing as "the Obama administration with taxpayers' money", as stated in an article published yesterday in the New York Times. And if it is true that, as predicted Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault-Nissan, 10% of cars sold worldwide in 2020 will be electric, it should be good accounts. Here then is that a giant like General Motors has teamed up with the Reva Electric Car Company to arrive as quickly as possible to the conversion of the Chevrolet Spark by diesel power.

"Reva's technology and expertise are unmatched in the world," said Karl Slym, president of GM India. The company founded by Mr. Maini has indeed behind him many years of experience. Maini, who already 10 years cotruiva own cars and remote control aircraft, after graduating in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, founded the Reva, to accompany the family that built the company to have auto parts, golf carts and forklifts. From here the climb and now the chance to compete with the big carmakers.

The plan for the big jump is already ready. At the last Frankfurt Motor Show presented the Reva NXG NXR and the two plug-in model which will be marketed by 2010 in 24 countries around the world and through a whole new way. Since that date it will be active also the website for booking of vehicles, not to mention Revive telematics technology which, like an invisible reserve, promises to require a motorist emergency electrical charge through a phone call or a text message .

All proposals are expected to be much appreciated by the market. This is why the company is already moving to keep up in orders and is negotiating with the Bannon Automotive, in upstate New York to outsource part of production, and already has a factory owned by the production capacity of 30 thousand units year. The objective of Reva is in fact the opposite of that of Tesla, the young American company incurred in Silicon Valley. Mr. Main is convinced that for success we must bring to the market small cars and small cost. Nothing supercar as the Model S from EUR 45 thousand words, but as the supermini NXR from 15 thousand euro

The Reva beats Toyota and GM

2009-10-29T22:07:00.001-07:00

The Indian company is the first manufacturer in the world of cars and battery-powered
It produces 30 thousand a year and has just renewed the range with a true 4-seater

They have seen little more than a manufacturer of golf carts, an assembler of cars from spoiled children or old men who have withdrawn the license, but now the Reva, or rather Reece - Reva Electric Car Company - has become the first manufacturer the world of electric cars. A nice comeback for the brand in India in Bangalore today produces something like 30 thousand cars a year and a battery that has wrought huge competitors like Tata Motors, General Motors and Toyota. Already because while everyone talks, said it would produce - between 2011 and 2012 - electric car, the Reva produces as it has already a good price range of cars for at least another two years will not have competitors. And there is a chance that GM is due to come to terms with the Reva electric version of its Chevrolet Spark, the new and eagerly awaited Matiz. Possible?

"The technology of Reva - explained Karl Slym, president and CEO of GM India - is second to none and, among other things, it is easy to transport the components of their cars on cars of other brands." A unique feature in the automotive world and that says a lot of experience this incredible Indian company founded by Mr Maine and named (Reva, in fact) than that of his mother ... Maini fact began to build and sell cars and remote control aircraft at the age of 10 years, then went to power go-kart and then to build small cars. Always been his favorite playmate is the lathe and lathe ... Then, of course, got his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, where he was immediately placed on a team that has built solar car, and then became a specialist in California doing espereinza at several companies. So in 1990 back to Bangalore and Maini Reva bases, supporting this company to those of the family who are already manufacturing auto parts, golf carts and forklifts.

Since then it has been a continued success and wonder what Mr. Maine and its vision of "a little extreme" on the front of the car supply: unlike his colleagues foresee a day and also the other end of the car with the engine aa blast and the triumph of the electrical system, he just says only that "electric cars were only a slice of the cars to be sold in the next 10 years." A slice that Reva has already conquered all.

The machine that allowed this exploit was the Reva G-Wiz, famous in England, produced since 2001. It 'just 2.6 meters long, has a three-body can and a nice design "nice", complete with round headlights and a nice tailgate. Has an autonomy of 80 miles and recharges in 8 hours. Yet the fun is yet to come is about to be launched the modern NXR, according even to European safety standards. It has four proper seats and can travel for 160 km between a charge and the other, with a top speed limited to 65 Km / h: we are always on a city car, and go any faster would be useless.

The NXR Reva is the fact that we will see ourselves as planned, there is also the marketing in our country, at a price of 15,000 euros, but with finishes of luxury. At this price then it should be added to monthly rental of batteries, so that the customer will always have new and more efficient. For those who want even more is already ready sports NXG, a small coupe with hatch ready to compete with Mini Cooper and associates. The Reva, in short, is now very seriously and begins to scare even the rich European manufacturers

World best electric car Reva

2009-10-28T23:19:00.000-07:00

Reva introduced world best new electric with lot of new features. We are waiting for test drive.

Electric Car's Future May Be In The Hands Of Indian Electric car Company Reva

2009-10-28T21:21:00.000-07:00

What is indisputable is that as the whole automotive world seems to be racing suddenly toward the age of electricity, the Reva Electric Car Company is in the lead, ahead of better-known local competitors like Tata Motors and global giants like General Motors and Toyota.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/28/reva-electric-cars-future_n_336596.html

US: Bannon to build Reva EVs in NY

2009-10-28T21:02:00.001-07:00

Bannon Automotive plans to invest US$26.6m to set up a new manufacturing plant for plug-in electric vehicles in New York State’s Onondaga County. The company has been offered a US$3m grant in support of the project by Empire State Development.

The facility will create 250 new full-time jobs within three years. Bannon will use technology based on that developed by Indian OEM Reva Electric Car Company to build Reva’s NXR model, shown at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show. The three-door, four-seater NXR is powered by lithium-ion batteries and offers a 120-mile range on a single charge and a top speed of up to 100mph. It can be fully charged in eight hours from a standard outlet or in one and a half hours from a quick-charge station.

“We are proud that we will produce these cars for the North American market in the United States,” comments Bannon Automotive chief executive Paul Wimer. “Syracuse’s proximity to half the population of the United States allows us to easily reach key markets for new electric vehicles that extend well beyond the northeast. Central New York’s position as a national leader in green technology and the support we received from elected officials and economic development agencies were major factors in our decision.”

Headquartered in New York, Bannon was established to design, build and manufacture an affordable plug-in electric vehicle for the North American automotive market.

REVA Partnering With U.S. Start-Up To Build EV Factory In Syracuse, N.Y.

2009-10-28T20:59:00.001-07:00

The REVA Electric Car Company of Bangalore (India) announced Friday that in partnership with Newly formed U.S. EV company Bannon automotive, it/they will be investing 26.5 million dollars to rehabilitate and outfit an EV factory in Syracuse, N.Y..

The facility will be an assembly plant for its REVA's recently unveiled NXR 3-door hatchback EV, a small but highway-legal vehicle which in its base format gets 50 miles of range with a 55 mph top speed. An Alternative model with higher performance Lithium Ion Batteries will sell in the $20,000 - 25,000 range and reach 65mph/100 miles.

Bannon CEO Paul Wimer said at a news conference that the state has agreed to provide $3 million in development grants to help the company get rolling,

with an an additional $3.76 million in tax incentives and breaks to be parceled out farther along in the game.

Wimer, went on to say that the the goal is to have the plant operating by the end of next summer.

Will the U.S. buy Reva NXR, 120 miles per charge for $25,000?

2009-10-28T02:38:00.000-07:00

Reva Electric Car has a lot to prove.

The India-based company announced a deal with Bannon Automotive to produce 20,000 Reva NXR’s a year at a New York facility. The site could be fully optional already by fall 2010.

But check out Bannon’s Web site: http:/bannonautomotive.com. This sure doesn’t look like a technologically savvy company ready to hire 200 some employees and produce thousands of electric vehicles a year.

Although Bannon has already announced plans to start manufacturing the vehicles, the Long Island company has yet find all the financing, according to http:/syracuse.com.

And are there really people out there looking to invest in a $25,000 car that will get a maximum of 120 miles per charge? Apparently there are in Europe, where the car is already being built. But just because it’s possible in the crowded streets of Paris, doesn’t mean there’s hope hear in the New World.

The $17,000 version of the Reva NXR would only go 55 mph and get 50 miles on a charge. The hatchback model would cost up to $8,000 more but peak at around 100 mph and 120 miles per charge. This doesn’t really compare to hybrids like the Chevy Volt, also expected out in 2010, which promises 40 miles of gas-free driving before the gas motor kicks in. Of course the much-anticipated Volt doesn’t have a price yet. But assuming it doesn’t start much over $30,000, I’m betting most consumers will see it as having more bang for their buck.

And even before financing is complete, New York Gov. David Paterson is incentivizing the project with taxpayer dollars to the tune of $6.8 million, with the federal government kicking in $52 million in loans and loan guarantees to Bannon. That’s quite a commitment to a company with about a dozen words on its Web site.

Yes, with high unemployment the government should be in the business of job creation. But no, officials shouldn’t jump at underdeveloped ventures.

Reva car Dealers List

2009-10-28T00:50:00.000-07:00

Reva New Car Dealers in Bangalore

Reva Revalation Point
# 38, Maini Sadan, 7th Cross, Lavelle Road, Bangalore-560001
Bangalore, Lavelle Road
Pincode: 560001
Phone: 080-22271146, 080-22271151
________________________________________
________________________________________
Reva Seva
167/3 Sarjapur Road, Jakkasandra, Bangalore - 560 034
Bangalore, Jakkasandra
Pincode: 560034
Phone: 080-25532485, 080-25502762
Mobile: 98451 23224

Reva New Car Dealers in Pune

Reva Seva Authorised Service Center
Shradhanjali, S. # 14/2, Plot # 2, Wanawadi, Pune-411040
Pune, Wanawadi
Pincode: 411040
Phone: 020-26853608, 020-26853223
________________________________________
________________________________________
Reva Seva Authorised Service Center
C/O Madhu Automobiles, 65/5/H Salunke Vihar Road, Wanawadi, Pune 411040
Pune, Wanawadi
Pincode: 411040
Contact Person: Mr. Soneji, Mr. Ashwin
Mobile: 9371031700, 9422313529

Reva New Car Dealers in Goa

Barneto Motors
#1257 Anvotem Curtorim Salcette Goa, Goa 403709
Goa, Salcette
Pincode: 403709
Phone: 0832-2786320
Mobile: 9850451141
Reva New Car Dealers in Ahmedabad

Khanna Motors
Nr Gujarat High Court, Sola Road Flyover, Thaltej, Ahmedabad 380 081
Ahmedabad, Thaltej
Pincode: 380081
Contact Person: Rohit Khanna
Phone: 079-27434780
Mobile: 9825006640
Reva New Car Dealers in Secunderabad
Kinematic Services
2-4-135, Block - 4, Linga Reddy Complex, Opposite Hanuman Temple, Tarbund, Secunderabad-9, Andhra Pradesh
Secunderabad, Tarbund
Pincode: 500009
Phone: 040 - 27816277, 040 – 55916277
Reva New Car Dealers in Kolkata

Auto Junction
Mjunction Services Ltd, 11th Floor, TATA Centre, 43 Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata, West Bengal, India 700071
Kolkata, Jawaharlal Nehru Road
Pincode: 700071
Phone: 033 66333415
Reva New Car Dealers in New Delhi

Reva Revalation Point
A-31 Lajpat Nagar II, New Delhi 110024
New Delhi, Lajpat Nagar
Pincode: 110024
Phone: 011-46547430, 011-46547431, 011-46547432

Reva Brands Leader of the Pack

2009-10-28T00:02:00.001-07:00

BANGALORE, India — Depending on whom you ask, this tiny company is either the next big thing in automobiles, or a maker of glorified golf carts.

What is indisputable is that as the whole automotive world seems to be racing suddenly toward the age of electricity, the Reva Electric Car Company is in the lead, ahead of better-known local competitors like Tata Motors and global giants like General Motors and Toyota.

Daimler and Toyota are supposed to start trials of electric versions of the Smart Car and the Prius, respectively, by the end of the year. The Nissan Leaf will come out next year, as will the Chevy Volt. And the Obama administration is committing billions of taxpayer dollars to loans to help companies produce alternative vehicles, including hybrids and all-electric cars.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was in Wilmington, Del., on Tuesday at a defunct G.M. plant that Fisker Automotive, backed by a $528.7 million government loan, will refurbish and use to make hybrids.

But years before the sleek Tesla Roadster hugged California highways or General Motors unveiled the Chevrolet Volt, Chetan Kumar Maini was making and selling stubby electric vehicles turned out by a nondescript factory here. Reva has more all-electric vehicles on the road than any other company, but it still has a long haul before it can make the vehicles marketable for the masses.

Last month, the company won an important stamp of approval when General Motors said it would use Reva’s technology in the electric version of its Chevrolet Spark, a small car whose conventional gasoline version G.M. sells here already. The electric version of the Spark is expected to go on sale in India by the end of next year, according to G.M. officials.

Reva’s technology is “second to none,” said Karl Slym, president and managing director of G.M. India, adding that Reva’s appeal came from its drive train, the collection of components that move the car, which is easily installed in different vehicles and works with various batteries.

G.M.’s vote of confidence is a big boost for the privately held company, which has been making vehicles for eight years, but has sold only a few more than 3,000 cars and has not yet turned a profit. By contrast, big Indian automakers sell tens of thousands of cars each month.

But now Reva’s moment may have arrived.

The company is retiring its only model, known here as the Reva i and in Britain as the G-Wiz — and mocked for its small size, boxy shape and lack of speed. The vehicle does not even qualify as an automobile but is called a quadracycle, a slower, four-wheeled vehicle similar to an all-terrain vehicle, which is not required to meet car safety standards in countries like Britain.

Reva’s new model, the NXR, will comply with European safety regulations, seat four and travel up to 100 miles on a full battery charge, at speeds of up to 65 kilometers an hour — what is known in the industry as a city car.

“I have been doing this for 15 years, and I have never seen everything come together like I have” now, said Mr. Maini, the 39-year-old vice chairman and chief technology officer of Reva. The company is jointly owned by his family; AEV L.L.C., a small technology company based near Los Angeles; and two venture capital firms.

Mr. Maini also said the company was in talks to franchise production of the NXR in New York State to Bannon Automotive, a company based in Long Island. Bannon is negotiating with local and state officials and lining up financing, Mr. Maini said, adding that once a deal was struck, a plant could be up and running in 12 months.

Companies like G.M. and Nissan are already spending billions to develop electric cars. Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of Nissan and Renault, said recently that electric vehicles would make up 10 percent of all cars sold by 2020.

But before that can happen, both electric cars and their batteries have to become more efficient and cheaper, a whole battery-charging station infrastructure has to be created, and consumers have to want the cars, which cost considerably more than gasoline-powered vehicles.

In addition to these challenges, Mr. Maini’s company has to grow from being a maker of niche vehicles for early adopters into a producer of mass-market cars.

“The Mainis are certainly good guys, but I don’t think they have the resources to make that happen,” said Rishikesha T. Krishnan, a professor of corporate strategy at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore. They have to “align themselves with a bigger player.”

Reva officials agree that they need partners and they are trying to develop three businesses: building cars under the Reva brand; franchising production of Reva cars to other manufacturers like Bannon; and licensing Reva technology to automakers like G.M.

The company also says it believes that its coming cars will be much more enticing. It has such faith in the NXR that it is building a factory that can produce 30,000 cars a year. The company plans to release one new model every year; it has a sporty coupe, the NXG, ready to be released in 2011.

“It was very clear to the management and the board that we have to do something truly game-changing, and hopefully that’s what we have done with the new design,” said Mohanjit Jolly, a Reva board member and the executive director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley that has invested in both Reva and Tesla Motors.

In many ways, Reva is the opposite of Tesla, a Silicon Valley company that has grabbed the limelight with its high-performance electric sports cars. Whereas Tesla’s cars are fast and expensive — in the case of the Tesla Roadster, $101,500 — Reva’s vehicles are small, slow and, by electric car standards, cheap.

And Reva’s compound on the outskirts of Bangalore is a far cry from the Bay Area. To get to it, visitors must drive through dusty, potholed streets in an old industrial area south of the city.

“If Tesla is on one end producing cars to compete with Ferrari, we are on the other end,” said R. Chandramouli, who heads sales and marketing at Reva. “We believe in really small cars.”

Mr. Maini said electric cars have to be small and affordable to succeed in places like India and Europe, where most car trips are short and involve stop-and-go driving, unlike in the United States where commuters can drive 50 miles or more a day, mostly on highways.

The NXR, which is about a foot and a half shorter than the Mini Cooper, will come in two variations. In Europe, the higher-end model will sell for about 15,000 euros, or $22,000, not including batteries, which the company will lease for a monthly fee.

By contrast, Tesla’s Model S sedan will cost $49,900 after a $7,500 tax rebate. That car will seat five adults and two children and have a range of 300 miles. Tesla is taking reservations for the car, but deliveries will start in 2011. It has sold nearly 900 of its Roadster sports cars.

If all goes according to plan — a big if — Reva, which is named after Mr. Maini’s mother, should turn a profit sometime next year, he said. For him, that milestone would be the culmination of a long journey.

His love for motors began early. He built remote-controlled cars and planes when he was 10, and motorized go-carts as a teenager. Because specialized components were hard to come by in India, he asked his father’s friends to buy spare parts when they traveled abroad.

His well-to-do business family supported him then and continues to finance him today. “When I was 11 or 12, I had a hobby room that was bigger than the room where the three of us slept at night,” he said, referring to the room he shared with his two older brothers. “I had my own lathe and mill.”

Mr. Maini studied mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, where he was on a team that built an award-winning solar car in 1990, and then at Stanford. After working in California for a few years at AEV, he returned to Bangalore in the late 1990s to start Reva as a joint venture between his family and AEV. (His family owns two other companies that make auto parts, golf carts and forklifts.)

The Maini family and its partners have invested more than $50 million, and in-kind services like office space, in Reva.

Perhaps because of his long experience with cars, Mr. Maini, does not come across as a wide-eyed technology evangelist. He does not brag excessively or predict the death of the internal-combustion engine like other electric-car entrepreneurs.

“Electrics are not going to overnight replace gasoline engines,” he said. “But they could be a large portion of” cars sold in the next 10 years. Reva is betting on it.

Indian electric car REVA NXR

2009-10-27T22:04:00.001-07:00

At the international motor show in Frankfurt, the world premier of the Indian electric car REVA NXR (NeXt Reva). In the production model will be launched early next year.

Novelty is a three-door hatchback, capable of speeds up to 104 km / h. Cruising the machine is 160 km.

In order to fully charge the lithium-ion battery takes eight hours, and for a short trip to a distance of 40 km have enough 15 minutes of charging. In completing the electric system includes access to the cabin and start the engine without a key and a telematic system with digital display, which shows information about when to call in refills or visit the service center, as well as the testimony shows the battery charge, the temperature in the cabin, etc. Receiving applications for REVA NXR started directly at the motor show

NXR Reva, the electric car, which consults its SMS

2009-10-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

Congestion Warning! According to manufacturers, 2010 promises to be 1 year of age for the electric motor individually. With a new kid on the start line for this week: the Indian Reva and NXR. A city "zero emission" scheduled for next July and is distinguished by a particularly surprising telematics device under the hood.

"If you come back I cancel everything" (N. Sarkozy). We know now, some SMS sometimes remain unanswered. No risk of such a misadventure with Reva NXR. "When you have an unexpected visit and want to know if you have enough autonomy to get there, you can send an SMS to your car. It then validates the trip or tell you the nearest terminal via Google Maps. Director of RAL Holdings, the importer of the brand in India France, Alexandre Chagnaud is proud of its novelty. Especially as its future model will also protect you from the blow of fuel exhaustion. If battery empty, sending an unlock SMS in effect a secret reserve of autonomy. What reach the outlet nearest.

Beyond these "gadgets" that everyone thinks of utility, the Indian girl displays before any performance in accordance with the standards of new electricity transmission: 4 tickets, a range of 160 km, a maximum speed of 104 km / h, B permit approval, the recovery of braking energy and even a solar roof option. In terms of storage, the NXR is equipped with lithium-iron phosphate Japanese technology, but under Chinese license. Globalization does impact cleantech. "According to our estimates, the Reva ensures 97% of annual journeys of a driver. For very long distances, it is wiser to use the train or rent a car powered. Reloading the city can be done via a home made "classic" or a terminal session for an express (20 minutes against 50 km).

To win, Reva including setting the price of its novelty: 15 800 € plus a monthly fee of about € 130 per month to lease the batteries. At this rate, no miracles, the NXR unveils interior far from the comfort of his fellow heat. It has, however, a sponsor of choice for reassurance about its reliability. Reva comes into effect with General Motors signed a contract to electrify the models of American brand. Scheduled for late 2010 in France, the city is already available for pre-order via Internet and target priority Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse and Nice. "With a target of 2000 units in 2010 we do not expect to invade the market, but already trigger a first corner as early as 2010," says Alexander Chagnaud. Exit Route prohibited.

Reva fanboy drives the NXR

2009-10-27T21:35:00.000-07:00

You might call Mike Boxwell something of a Reva fanboy. Not only is the British electric vehicle advocate (and solar electricity author) a proud G-Wiz owner, he is also the force behind Reva Car Club, an internet forum based around the company and its products. Being such a big-time booster, it's little wonder that when Mike traveled to the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show where Reva's new models were being debuted, not only could he get a one-on-one interview with CEO Chetan Maini, but he also snagged a chance to drive their new NXR before any fancy-pants auto journalists. So what does he think of this new, possibly America-bound, electric offering? He likes it!

Before heading for Germany, Mike took it upon himself to try out Ford Ka, so as to have something to measure the NXR against and in almost every way the Indian electric matched up quite well. Fit and finish was comparable, with the materials in the interior of the Reva being somewhat snazzier. Our enthusiast also found the NXR to be a lot more roomy than the Ka both in the front seats and back. The only place the Ford seemed to excel was the satisfying "thunk" of the closing door, though Boxwell was assured that this and other minor details would be improved before actual production. You can read Mike's written review at Reva Car Club and hit the jump to watch the video of his NXR first-drive as well as his interview of Mr. Maini interspersed with shots from inside both the NXR and their sporty NXG.

Reva to rope in franchises for production abroad

2009-10-26T21:15:00.001-07:00

Electric car manufacturer Reva is planning manufacturing facilities abroad under a franchise model to penetrate those markets. These units will be built under licensing agreements with local partners, wherein the brand name and technology will be owned by Reva.
The company, whose head office is here, has sold about 3,400 electric cars so far. It says the licencing agreements will cover not just four-wheelers, but also auto-rickshaws, mini-buses and two-wheelers.

“We are looking at licence manufacturing opportunities to set up plants in different parts of the world. We are evaluating with several countries and several companies, but it is a little premature. But I would definitely say that in the next six months, we would be able to make our first announcement in that area,” Chetan Maini, Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Chairman of Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) told Business Standard.

He said the plan to open overseas manufacturing facilities was conceptualised long before, but the company was seeing much revival of interest over this concept in recent days, as many companies and local governments are showing interest at this model. The company is primarily looking at the US, European and Asian countries.

Reva will also have an investment partner in those plants, other than owning the brand name and technology. The local partners will have the sales rights, because of their understanding of the local markets.

About half the 600-800 electric cars produced by RECC each year are being exported to countries like the UK, Norway, Spain, France, Germany and Costa Rica. The company has sold about 1,000 electric vehicles in London alone, a key market for the company globally, as many as it has sold in Bangalore.

It is also erecting a new manufacturing plant close to its existing one in this city, with an investment of Rs 30 crore. Expected to be operational by early next year, the plant is capable of producing 30,000 electric vehicles yearly.

Maini said the company had signed up with 24 countries where the company is either selling products or doing a test-launch. “With new product launches expected to happen early next year, we will have a presence in several countries in Europe and South America and South East Asia.”

Asked if there was any plan to go into the electric two-wheeler market, Maini said though the focus was going to be the four-wheeler segment, the same technology could also be test-integrated to two-wheelers. However, he added, “we think the two-wheeler market is less technology-oriented, where the brand and the distribution capability hold the key. It requires a lot of investment, whereas the margins are quite low. It’s not a business model that we are looking at”.

Last month, Reva agreed to provide GM its technology for developing an electric version of GM’s Chevrolet Spark. Maini said, “We chose GM for the small car market, but we are looking at our relationship in a much bigger way. It does not preclude us from addressing segments like three-wheelers or mini-bus.”

Green Reva is red rag for some Americans

2009-10-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

The rubber hasn’t met the road yet but sparks are already flying.India's electric car
Reva is receiving a torrid welcome in US after an an announcement last week that it would be manufactured in upstate New York by an American collaborator.

''So our economy is so bad that India is outsourcing to America?'' one New Yorker snippily asked in the local press, after Bannon Automotive, a Long Island electric car
firm of uncertain provenance, said it would build Reva's electric cars at a yet to be determined site near Syracuse at an event attended by the governor David Patterson.

Bannon is yet to get its financing
together and Reva's full board is yet to approve the project, but the fur is already flying over the plan, partly due to what locals see as the states munificence to dodgy entrepreneurs.

Paterson has said New York State will provide $6.76 million in incentives, including a $3 million grant and $3.76 million in wage and tax credits, In addition, the federal government is expected to provide $52 million in loans and loan guarantees to Bannon. In return, Bannon will be required to invest at least $26.6 million into the plant over the next three years.
Bannon has said that for now production would begin with about 100 employees and increase to 250 when full annual production of 15,000 to 20,000 cars is reached. The first cars will roll out towards the end of 2010.

An entry-level, two-seat version of the Reva, which will have a top speed of 50-55 mph and can go 50 miles on a charge, will be priced at about $17,000, Bannon executives said. A higher-end, three-door hatchback version with four seats will be priced at $20,000 to $25,000. Depending on the model, it would have a top speed of 100 mph and could travel up to 120 miles on a single charge.

But many New Yorkers, and Americans, are sceptical both about the car and the companies involved, not to speak of their obvious difficulty is accepting a niche Indian company making tracks in the United States. ''Sorry, but if I'm buying a mini car, I'd rather spend my cash
on a Smart Coupe. For $13,000 I can get nearly 60mpg, highway speeds, and I don't have to worry about recharging it if I want to go more than 50 miles from home,'' one local wrote in the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Not everyone was cynical. Some welcomed the ''foreign'' infusion into a bleeding US economy, speculating where the new plant would be located and whether laid-off local workers could find jobs there, and marvelling at the fact that an Indian company was pitching into the US market.

''Seriously. We have to undo a network of extravaganza that has brought us to our knees. Detroit kept us supplied with our drugs. Reach out to these energy efficient cars and America will stand tall again,'' wrote one New Yorker.

First test drive of Reva NXR electric car

2009-10-26T00:54:00.000-07:00

I was at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month, where REVA launched their new NXR electric city car and previewed their NXG electric sports car.

I run the REVA Car Club and as a result, I also had a chance to take an NXR out for a test drive. I've put up a You Tube video of the experiences - you can see it here:

The car is very good indeed. A couple of days before driving the NXR, I drove a Ford Ka - it's a similar sized car to the NXR, and in Europe the base model Ford Ka sells for about the same as the base REVA NXR City. The idea of seeing the Ford Ka was simple - I wanted to see if the NXR could compete with a mainstream car from a mainstream manufacturer, even when the environmental benefits of being electric were ignored.

I found the Ford Ka small and cramped. I'm six foot tall (180cm) and could not get comfortable in the front seats, and couldn't sit in the back at all without having my head on one side. Boot space was minimal and the quality of the interior was nothing special. The front seats were not particularly supportive and the rear seats were even worse. On the positive side, the doors closed with a nice 'thunk'.

The NXR really is a fantastic car - don't think of it as an improved G-Wiz, it is a completely new vehicle which really takes Reva into the mainstream market. The styling looks terrific and the car is certainly very eye-catching when you see it in the flesh.

For a start, unlike the G-Wiz, the Reva NXR is a proper car with twin airbags and M1 certified safety features throughout. It is a high quality product and feels it throughout. When I saw the prototype back in March in Bangalore I was impressed with what I saw, but the car that Reva presented at the motorshow is head and shoulders above what I saw then.

In comparison to the Ford KA, the Reva NXR was definately more spacious. More leg and head room in both the front and the back of the car, although shoulder room was perhaps more limited - but by no more than a couple of centimetres. The fit and finish of the interior was as good as the Ka and the choice of materials and switchgear was better - the steering wheel, indicator stalks, the buttons and the gearknob felt like Volkswagen quality rather than the cheaper feel to the Ford equivalents.

The REVA NXR has a digital dashboard. I have to be honest and say I've never been a fan of digital dashboards before: call me old fashioned, but I like the dials and needles and things going round. The Reva digital dashboard is very good, however. It is nicely laid out with all the information clearly laid out and easy to read. I have to say I liked it, which I wasn't really expecting. In an electric car where you may want to display all sorts of different information at different times, a digital dashboard really does make sense.

It was pointed out to me by someone from Reva that getting into the back of the NXR wasn't that easy for a large adult like me. However, it is no worse than the Ford Ka or Fiat 500 and once you are inside, there is plenty of space to sit. In fact, you can easily get four adults comfortably inside an NXR and I must admit I didn't feel it was too difficult to get into or out of anyway.

Fit and finish on the NXR was a vast improvement on the G-Wiz and was comparable to the Ford Ka. Whilst the doors didn't have quite the same satisfactory 'thunk' sound when you closed them, they were not far off - and I am told there will be further improvements to the door fittings before the car goes into production.

The quality of the bodywork was generally very good, my only comment is that there was a very slight discoloration in the gel coating around one of the 'C' pillars at the rear of the car. Again, this is something that should be rectified before the car goes into production.

The show car had a sample solar roof fitted. This will be an option on production models which will be capable of providing around 150 watts of power (peak) per hour - enough to provide 2-3 extra kilometres of range for every hour the car is parked in the sunshine in the summer months.

I then had the opportunity to try out the NXR for myself. Reva had a test car hidden away in the basement. At this stage, they are not letting journalists loose on the car as they are still making some final improvements to the car before it is production ready. So far only Reva agents have had the chance to drive the car and I was one of the first 'outsider' to get to try the car for myself.

First impressions of being behind the driving seat were very positive. The car feels very solid and substantial. All round visibility is excellent, including behind where the kick-down at the bottom of the rear windows helps when maneuvering the car.

You start the car by pressing a start button and switching the gear knob to DRIVE. The gear knob uses the same concept as with the G-Wiz, although the knob itself is a much higher quality unit with a lovely smooth feel to it.

Performance from a standing start was very brisk, the car accelerating very quietly and smoothly. The car absorbs the bumps very well and the car is very easy to drive quickly without any dramas. I drove around a tight 90° bend at around 60km/h without any problems at all - if I'd have tried that in my G-Wiz I think I'd have crashed it!

Brakes are also strong and progressive and the car feels solid and unstressed at all times. The steering feels very balanced and confidence inspiring although it was pointed out to me that the steering could be construed as being too heavy. Personally I didn't feel that, but apparently steering on the production cars will be lightened.

Turning circle, as with the G-Wiz, is superb - you can turn the car around very easily in a very small amount of space: tight enough to make a London Taxi look like a barge.

I came away feeling very impressed - Reva has produced an electric car that really can be compared favourably with a car from a mainstream manufacturer: ignoring the environmental credentials, the Reva NXR can be compared to a similarly priced Ford Ka and make a strong case for itself.

Reva Electric car Videos

2009-10-26T00:14:00.000-07:00

GM, Reva to produce electric vehicles

General Motors and Reva to make electric car for India

A Glance at Reva New models NXR & NXG

Gizmag @ IAA 2009 - REVA unveils the NXR and NXG electric cars

Reva Revive (tm) - combating range anxiety

World Launch of Reva NXG

GM's Spark looking to ride on Reva's technology

Reva EV Car

Reva traveling

Reva electric car in Rome

GWiz i EV

New Reva Brand NXR STILLS

2009-10-25T22:52:00.001-07:00

Bannon Automotive plans to manufacture Reva electric cars in Central New York

2009-10-25T21:36:00.001-07:00

Bannon Automotive, the little company with ambitious plans to manufacture electric cars in Central New York, isn’t the only automaker hoping that Americans are finally ready to buy electric vehicles.

Several big names in the industry — Ford, Chevrolet and Nissan, among them — also have plans to unveil electric cars soon. Some experts predict that, if gas prices take off again, electric vehicles could gradually take a significant share of the car market.

David Cole, chairman of the nonprofit Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich., is not one of them.

“There’s a market, but it’s not very large,” Cole said.

Cole, 72, a veteran automotive researcher, said electric cars are more expensive and more restrictive than gasoline-engine vehicles. They typically limit drivers to a range of 100 miles or less, which makes them unattractive to all but a minority of consumers who value electric vehicles for environmental reasons, Cole said.

The India-born Reva NXR car, which Bannon Automotive would make, will face tough competition from fuel-efficient small gasoline-powered cars, Cole said.

“A lot depends on the pricing,” he said. “The competitor to a vehicle like this would probably be a gasoline-engine car that would be considerably less expensive.”

But other analysts say rising gas prices and changes in the way electric vehicles are marketed could change the equation. A recent study from the University of California estimated electric vehicles could account for 64 percent of all new cars by 2030.

Bannon CEO Paul Wimer said in Syracuse on Friday the company will target the Reva to large metropolitan areas — New York City initially — with lots of commuters who would use the car as an economical way to get to work or a train station and would not mind its limited range.

“We want to provide an affordable alternative to current combustion-engine vehicles,” he said. “Whether it’s to drive to work, to school, to the grocery store, we believe we’ll have the alternative.”

The Reva is slightly smaller than the Toyota Matrix, Wimer said.

“We’re not saying this is going to be the only car in your garage, but it may be your second or third, particularly if you’re using it to drive to work or just using it to drive around town,” he said.

Bannon will price an entry-level, two-seat version of the Reva at about $17,000, Wimer said. Equipped with a lead-acid battery, it will have a top speed of 55 mph and a maximum range of about 50 miles on a single charge, he said.

A three-door hatchback version with four seats will sell for $20,000 to $25,000. It will be equipped with a lithium-ion battery and will have a top speed of 65 mph. A premium model could get up to 100 mph with a high-performance battery and travel 100 to 120 miles on a charge, he said.

Wimer, who stands 6-feet-5 inches tall, said he can sit in the back seat of the hatchback version of the Reva without his head hitting the ceiling.

There are an estimated 60,000 all-electric cars on the road in the United States, but the vast majority are so-called “neighborhood electric vehicles,” which are street-legal but can go no faster than 25 mph, according to the Electric Drive Transportation Association, a trade group.

The Reva NXR, which can travel at highway speeds and is comparable to traditional cars, would have few peers on American roads.

Several manufacturers have tried to introduce mass-market electric vehicles during the past two decades — beginning with General Motors’ EV1 — but most have fallen out of production.

Still, carmakers plan to keep trying.

Nissan plans to roll out the Leaf next year, a four-door electric car “fast enough to get a speeding ticket on the highway,” said Jeannine Ginivan, speaking for Nissan. Mitsubishi is due out next year with its iMiEV electric car; and Chevy will roll out the Volt, an “extended range” electric vehicle with a small gas engine for backup.

Ford will introduce an all-electric version of the Focus in 2011.

“There’s a lot of players,” Wimer said. “There’s a lot of room for everybody. My sense is there’s a real place for plug-in electric vehicles.”

Bannon’s prices are considerably less than the $40,000 that Chevy reportedly plans to charge for the Volt.

Some experts say that changes in the way electric cars are financed could radically improve consumer acceptance.

Electric vehicles could easily account for at least 3 percent of new car sales by 2015, 18 percent by 2020 and 64 percent by 2030, according to a study released in July by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at the University of California, Berkeley.

That outcome could be achieved if consumers have the ability to lease their car batteries separately from buying the car, said study author Thomas A. Becker, a Berkeley economist. The battery leasing option has been championed by an Israeli company, Better Place, and is getting a serious look from manufacturers, including Nissan.

The high-performance lithium ion batteries in today’s electric vehicles are much better than their lead acid predecessors, but they are expensive, often accounting for at least one-third of the cost of an electric vehicle. If consumers could lease the batteries on a per-mile basis, it would cut up-front vehicle costs and would help reduce consumers’ worries about battery life, Becker said.

Electric vehicles typically cost only one-fifth as much to operate as gas-powered cars, said Cole, of the Center for Automotive Research. Wimer said the electricity to power the Reva will cost only about 2 cents a mile.

State officials said Bannon is keenly interested in New York’s commitment to battery research, which could one day bring down the cost.

Gov. David Paterson’s assistant secretary for renewable energy, Sarah Osgood, said she met with Bannon executives last April about the New York Battery Energy and Storage Technology Consortium, a new group of universities and industries working to improve batteries. New York BEST, as the consortium is known, has $25 million in funding, which intrigued the Bannon executives, Osgood said.

“They told me at that time that’s one of the reasons they were considering New York,” Osgood said.

India's Reva plans NY electric car site

2009-10-22T22:01:00.001-07:00

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — An Indian car company has chosen upstate New York for a factory to build a new generation of electric cars for North America, a state official said Thursday.

The Reva Electric Car Co. will work with Bannon Automotive, a new electric car company in Freeport, N.Y., to assemble a three-door plug-in hatchback, the NXR, at a site in the Syracuse area, according to the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the announcement hadn't been made.

The Metropolitan Development Agency scheduled a news conference Friday afternoon to announce the deal, and an agency spokesman declined to release details until that time. Gov. David Paterson and Sen. Charles Schumer were scheduled to take part in the announcement.

Bannon Automotive has secured an exclusive North American licensing deal with Reva, and the companies have agreed to spend $26.5 million on the plant, The Post-Standard of Syracuse reported this week. Bannon officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Bannon will renovate a 150,000-square-foot building in Clay, a Syracuse suburb, the newspaper reported.

The state will provide $3 million in Empire State Development Corp. grants and $3.76 million in tax incentives and breaks, the state official said. Paterson met with Reva officials in May, and touted the fact that New York would receive federal stimulus grant money for research into advanced battery technology.

The source also said the state Assembly and Senate will kick in other funding, pushing the package over $10 million.

Bannon also has applied for $40 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy and $12 million in loan guarantees from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Agency. Those requests are still pending, a Schumer spokesman said.

The plant is expected to be operating next year, with an initial work force of 100 that will grow to 250 workers over three years.

Reva is based in Bangalore, India. It unveiled the three-door NXR hatchback last month at an international auto show in Frankfurt, Germany.

The NXR can reach speeds of 65 mph with a range of 100 miles on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. The car will come with a 15-minute fast-charge capability, although the full charge would take eight hours from a standard household outlet.

Reva was established in 1994 as a joint venture between the Maini Group of India and AEV LLC, a California company, to manufacture environmentally friendly and cost-effective electric vehicles. The cars are now sold across Asia and Europe.

There are more than two dozen companies now manufacturing or planning to manufacture electric cars in the United States, according to industry figures.

Can you actually see – and pinpoint – a shift in the balance of power? It appears so!

2009-10-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

The last week of September saw a momentous alliance take place between General Motors, once the most powerful company in the world, and the Bangalore based Reva Electric Car Company. This alliance, which will see the two firms co-develop electric vehicles for the Indian market, is indicative, not only of a renewed and more flexible GM, but also, at the risk of overstating it, a new world order.

Prior to the recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings for US automakers, General Motors and Chrysler, it would have been inconceivable to see a goliath such as GM partnering with a small independent firm such as Reva. And the fact that it’s happening here on Indian shores is all the more telling. Reva, of course, have persevered with electric vehicles for a decade-and-a-half – a period in which they’ve acquired a wealth of knowledge and expertise that’s about to come to very good use, as the world turns towards electric propulsion as the apparent future of the automobile.

In fact, Reva recently showcased two new models at the Frankfurt Motor Show – a first for an Indian company. And the most remarkable thing about these EVs is that they’re impressive not only under the skin, but on the surface as well – attributes that electric vehicles will clearly have to embody in equal measure if they’re to really become mainstream. And while Dilip Chhabria made the cars striking to look at, Reva packed them with some very cutting-edge technology indeed. The new Reva features highly advanced telematics that enable their customer support center to remotely extend the range of the vehicle to prevent the driver being stranded on the road – the number one concern for drivers of EVs, known as ‘range anxiety.’
In fact, largely to address the very same issue, General Motors has come up with the very innovative and highly anticipated, Chevrolet Volt, which features an electric motor that provides drive using two different sources of energy – one is a plug-in lithium-ion battery pack that propels the car on electric power alone, and the other, to prevent range anxiety, is a gasoline powered motor that acts as a generator for the electric motor when the battery loses charge, effectively making it a ‘range extender.’

Now, the Volt may be very clever, but with two power units, like a hybrid, it’s also very expensive – and that’s where Reva comes in. GM realize that there’s no time to waste this time around before jumping onto the electric car bandwagon with both hands and feet. Therefore, they want to leverage Reva technology and know-how to launch an electric version of their Spark small car in India as early as the first Quarter of next year. What’s more, they aim to ensure that the price of the car remains at comparable levels with their petrol powered versions of the same model.

When we sat down with Karl Slym, MD of GM India, a few months ago, he made it very clear that the number one priority for Indian car buyers – whether it’s someone in the market for a 2.5 lakh car or a 20 lakh car – is fuel economy. Frugality in running costs, that’s what Indian car buyers value. And we all know that every day running costs in an EV can be exceedingly low to say the least. So if Chevrolet can get the economics right, the Reva-developed electric small car could be very powerful at the end of the day.

This alliance could also conceivably give Reva the chance to use GM’s established India-wide sales and service network, which would greatly help them accelerate acceptance for their own EVs in the country – this is at a time when they’re already quite well known in the UK and Europe.

So, let’s try not think of this alliance in a small-minded way, and rejoice simply that the tables may have turned. Let’s think of it as something momentous indeed, but more in terms of it being the beginning of something far greater
Check out this link for more information about Reva car

http://www.revaglobal.com