Turn on the ignition and there's nothing. No sound, no vibration, no smell or anything that your five senses have learned to associate with a car. This one doesn't burst into life with the twist of a key and the silence is uncanny, even eerie. Prod the accelerator pedal a wee bit and you know this car is very much alive.

It responds immediately and smartly gathers pace. There's a loud, high pitched hum from the rear which dies down once the car is on the move. It accelerates slowly to its top speed of 65kph. The only sound you hear is of the tyres merrily rolling over tarmac. When you come to a halt, the first reaction you get is that you've stalled it. There's no auto-transmission like creep when stationary. It's a unique experience but that's to be expected from driving any electric vehicle (EV) for the first time.

The humble electric motor has been vying to become a serious alternative to the internal combustion engine throughout the century-plus existence of the automobile. There have been many embarrassing false starts over the years but the new millennium has come as light at the end of the tunnel for electric-powered vehicles. The EV's biggest ally against the internal combustion engine has been planet Earth, which has time and again named the latter as its sworn enemy.

The practical side of the EVs has been taken care of by the long-term prospects of the fuel cells, which appear to be the eventual power source for electric vehicles. Though fuel-celled electric vehicles (FCEV) are still some way off, battery-powered EVs have been around for a while. It's just that battery power is still proving to be overpriced, overweight and bulky and simply does not have sufficient range, performance or convenience to be attractive as an everyday car. This is why EVs are still limited to niche applications or for use as a second or even third car.

The dawn of this new millennium will see India get its first EV in the form of the Maini REVA, which is due for launch in November 2000. It also promises to be the cheapest car in the market with a target price of Rs 1.8 lakh. REVA, which aptly means 'new beginning' in Sanskrit, also stands for Revolutionary Electric Vehicle Alternative. The REVA Electric Car Company is a part of the Bangalore-based Maini Group headed by Sudarshan Maini, a technocrat who left a plum job with MICO in 1973 to branch out on his own (see one-to-one). His core business is Maini Precision Products, which produces high quality and high-precision parts for OEMs in India and around the world. Another Group Company, Maini Materials Movement, which produces high-tech equipment to transport material and people across shopfloors, gave Maini the first taste of dealing with electric-powered vehicles.

A small car for India has been on Sudarshan Maini's mind for the past 30 years. However, the idea to make an EV clicked only after his youngest son Chetan joined Amerigon, a high-tech US based company specialising in EVs and worked there as a program manager on an EV project. Chetan Maini's association with Amerigon sowed the seeds of collaboration. Amerigon, now known as Amerigon Electric Vehicle Technology or just AEVT, holds a 36 percent stake in the REVA project with the Maini Group holding the rest. The REVA, however, is not news. The first prototype was built in 1996 and shown to public in December that year.

It even underwent the mandatory certification process. Just to make sure the car was upto scratch, the REVA was put through a 'shaker test' or an accelerated simulation of 250,000km at the Automobile Research Association of India (ARAI). Despite all preparations to launch it in 1997, it didn't happen. "We had no definite plans to launch then," said Chetan Maini, who is now the managing director of REVA Car Company. "It's just that we've been making absolutely sure that when the product is in the market, it doesn't have any problems" Also, the interim period was used to localise components as much as possible to minimise customs duty.

The REVA will be launched with a local content of 75 percent from day one. What's refreshing is that 32 year-old Chetan has hands-on experience with alternative power source vehicles. He was the design team leader in the University of Michigan's solar-powered car, which came third in the World Solar Challenge race in Australia. Later, he headed the powertrain department for the Stanford Electric car project, where he worked on the development of high-efficiency electric motors. And now, he is responsible for the design and development of the REVA. The first impression of the two-door REVA is that it's got bucketloads of character.

It was styled in-house by an enthusiastic bunch, all graduates of the Pasadena Design Center in the US and the enthusiasm comes through. The design is like a caricature on wheels but in a cute sort of way. The roofline is tall in relation to the length and the oversized wheels have sent the proportions for a toss. The flat windscreen (used to save costs) and A-pillar do not gel at all with the rest of the body curves. The nose is quite striking with the matt-black bumper extending around the headlights. The REVA's rear end is not to be left out and looks equally striking with the individual tail lamps curving nicely around the rear. The hatch is a piece of simple curved glass, no complex curvatures here.

The sliding side windows are rudimentary and reflect the cost-cutting mantra the REVA has been conceived with. If you're clever, you can tell the REVA is not powered by the good old IC engine. Since there's no radiator, there's no front grille and there's no exhaust sticking out of its backside either. Dimensionally, the REVA is the smallest thing on four wheels and even three, if you decided to do some hairy cornering. With a 2638mm length, it is autorickshaw-long. The chassis consists of a lightweight space frame which has been heavily triangulated to provide sufficient stiffness and strength. The spaceframe supports all the mechanicals, batteries and the powertrain. Acrylo-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) body panels are bolted onto the chassis.

ABS is a type of plastic with high-impact properties that make it dent-proof. Don't believe it? Chetan Maini picks up a hammer and clouts the front fender. "See? No dent." Impressed. Now that may be fine for city skirmished with two-wheelers but everything on four wheels is bigger and so chances of getting seriously shunted by something heavier are a distinct possibility. Depending on how bad the prang is, you can get your body panels completely replaced, and instantly. The ABS cladding is a bolt-on job and you're saved the hassles of tin work and painting. The ABS panels are colour impregnated that has eliminated the entire painting process.

Okay, it lacks the gloss and finish of a good paint job on metal but at a sub-Rs 2-lakh price, owners are unlikely to be that fussy. The spaceframe design with plastic body panes is central to the REVA project's viability. Vehicles built by using this method require only a fraction of the capital costs of conventional stamped steel used in mass production. With this design, the REVA can be produced at a comparatively low cost even with low volumes. Another advantage of a spaceframe and ABS is that design changes can be done very quickly and at little cost. The REVA project, in the five years since its inception, has cost US $20 million (Rs 80 crore) with an additional Rs 20 crore investment required to productionise the REVA. The REVA underwent some serious mechanical changes after AT Kearney, consultants to the Maini Group, came up with some recommendations based on market feedback. Firstly, the wheelbase had to be extended to generate more internal space. Keeping it strictly as a two-seater would drastically limit its appeal. So the REVA was stretched. A basic level of ride comfort was also needed which the primitive cart-like leaf springs at the rear failed to provide.

A more sophisticated coil-spring set-up at the rear has now been employed. The two-door design is possibly the REVA's biggest handicap as internal space is just about enough for two decent-sized adults and kids in their sub-teens. Forget about the luggage. "We seriously considered a four-door model but dropped the idea as then we would be competing with everyone else." Says Chetan Maini: "Also, with four doors, the REVA would have become heavier, less nimble and cost a lot more." Keeping costs low down is crucial if the REVA is to succeed.

Maini simply does not have the luxury of expensive tooling like injection moulding for the instrument moulding for the instrument panel (which is thermoformed), complex glass curvatures or even winding windows. A large number of components have been used from existing parts bins. Like the Maruti 800's door handles and external mirrors. The interiors are basic and sparsely equipped. You get a speedo and 'fuel gauge' or an indicator to show how much charge you have left. There are no other meters.

Well, you don't need a temperature and oil pressure gauge, do you? Instead you get a big dial on the dashboard with a forward reverse and neutral switch.

The handbrake sticks out of the dashboard but is inconvenient to use. The steering is fairly large for the tiny dimensions and the steering column stalks that operate the lights and the wipers have been taken from, you guessed it, the Maruti 800. The front seats are reasonably comfy for city driving but the back seat, essentially a tiny bench, is a complete no-no and unless you belong to the Jarawa tribe of Great Nicobar, you could lose blood circulation to your legs.

The back seat is best used for the odd bit of luggage. Though the interiors are pretty Spartan, it comes with an option of Amerigon's recently patented Climate Control System (CCS). This system essentially uses onboard power to either cool or heat the seats via pores in the seat surface through which air is pumped. According to Maini, this system gives a comfort level somewhere between an a/c and without one.

"The air passing through the seats is 15deg C cooler than the ambient." Though this might work in milder climates, it is unlikely to have any effect in peak summer where even the best of air cons have a tough time. The advantage with the CCS is that it consumes only 100 watts per seat and cuts the range by 3-4 percent. Where Maini has not stinted is on the REVA's heart, the electric powertrain. The power source for the REVA is a set of eight 6 volt tubular lead acid batteries which drives an electric motor that produces 7.14kgm of torque and a very modest 13k W or 17.5bhp.

For a car that weighs 650kg, that gives you a poor power-to-weight ratio. Though lead-acid batteries are conventional and not in the same league as the lithium type, they are most cost-effective. The batteries account for 37 percent of the REVA's 650-kg kerb weight. But the good thing is that the hefty battery pack is placed in the middle and on the floor of the chassis which considerably lowers the centre of gravity. Filling up or charging the REVA is a pretty straightforward process.

A flap on the left side flips down to reveal a charging socket. Plug one end of the charge cable is here and the other in a simple 15amp socket and the REVA is ready to be juiced up. The REVA comes with a two stage charging process. A full charge takes seven hours and gives a range of 80km. In quick-charge mode, you get an 80 percent top-up, which is good for 65km in just two-and-a-half hours. To accommodate power failures, the on-board computers remember the point at which the battery stopped charging and resume from thereon once the electricity comes back. Maini has taken care to make the batteries fail-safe against abuse from overcharging and wild voltage fluctuations that are common in India.

The best part is the running cost. A full charge takes 9 kilowatt hours or nine units of electricity which at the conservative rate of Rs 3 per unit adds up to Rs 27 for the maximum range of 80 kilometers. That's an amazing 40 paise per kilometer, sans pollution. To put the REVA's power requirements in perspective, a full charge costs half that of running your home air conditioner for one night. The REVA is bristling with computers that monitor the health of every battery, all the time. This is looked after by the Energy Management System (EMS), which uses a system of diagnostics to ensure that the owner is immediately informed through warning lights in the events of a problem occurring.

In fact, one of Maini's fears is that owners would tend to abuse their cars due to a lack of knowledge of this new concept. "The first thing we built in the system was a program that would prevent owners from damaging their cars. Hence all electronics have been protected by diagnostics," says Maini. Driving the REVA around the Bommassandra factory outside Bangalore was good fun. It's as simple as selecting F on the dashboard switch and stepping on the right pedal. There are no gears, no clutch and no engine.

You don't need any of them. An electric motor can produce maximum torque from standstill, which is one of its biggest assets. This makes it good for stop-start city conditions. In fact, the REVA comes with a high-torque motor, which gives it decent pep to 30kph, but the initial thrust is rather shortlived. The REVA is not even remotely as quick as a car. It's more in an autorick's performance league. It leisurely strolls up to its electronically limited 65kph top speed. The range is critically dependent on how you drive.

The more you floor it, the shorter your range. The trick, we are told, when driving electric is to imagine that an egg is lying between the accelerator pedal and the floor. Go easy on the pedal and you can go further, which in the REVA is about 80km. The steering is sharp and responsive and there's little doubt that the REVA is exceedingly nimble and is able to turn on a coin. It was not possible to gauge the ride quality in the prototype as the final suspension set-up was yet to be finalised. The brakes are simple drums all round but have a 'regenerative system' which charges and acts like a brake through the motor. Expect some surprises here. The REVA team is working furiously to make the ride as plaint as possible.

Also, the large 14-inch wheels, unusual for a car of this size, will play a vital role in ride comfort. Incidentally, the Michelin 145/60 R14 tubeless tyres are imported. An extremely low rolling resistance is vital for the REVA's range. "If we use Indian tyres, our range drops by 20 percent because of the high rolling resistance they come with," explains Chetan. Those few kilometers in the REVA have convinced me that it's the easiest car to drive in the world.

This should make it a hit with young college girls or even first-time car buyers. It could Even prompt those who have not managed to get a licence so far, to go out and get one in the REVA. In fact, Maini has positioned the REVA as a niche? Maini is quite happy if he sells just 1500 cars in the first year and then 3000 in the next. Sales will initially be restricted to in and around Bangalore, mainly to actively monitor the first lot of cars.

The REVA is a great concept and its low price, running costs and novelty value are bound to find Favour but the REVA's too minimalist nature will limit its widespread appeal. The car lacks niceties and that basic level of luxury the Maruti 800 has spoilt everyone with. The lack of an air conditioning option is another drawback. What's the point driving a fume-free car if you inhale lung-fills of black smoke from the truck that's belching it out into your face?

Living with the REVA, however, promises to open a different dimension to car ownership. The usual hassles of servicing, changing oil, checking the coolant, or cleaning the injectors has all gone in one sweep. But at the same time, you have to get used to plugging in every night to keep the REVA topped up. The 80km range is too restrictive and the journey to the office won't be brisk or exciting.

The problem is if you forget to plug-in the evening before, you can't simply nip down to the pump for a two-minute fill. You'll need an electric socket and a good book. And what happens if you run out of power? You can't exactly stroll to the nearest petrol station and come back with a jerry can full of volts. But hey, aren't we forgetting something here? The REVA's raision d'etre is the zero pollution on offer.

It is the first of a generation of cars, which fits into the automobile's new role of behaving like a more responsible citizen; protecting the environment and no longer depleting the world's resources. And that is reason enough to seriously consider it.

- Hormazd Sorabjee