Is it a toy? Is it a souped-up go-kart? Is it for real? You wonder if you are actually going beyond the call of duty in test-driving this cute little number, which seems to have whizzed straight out of Fun World. At the threshold of the point-of-no-return, the young mechanic reassuringly smiles as he explains the simple on/off system for starting the contraption.

You click the switch, and before you know it, the engine's on and you're off. You soon discover that venturing out in a REVA, India's first electric car, is a sure-fire way of bringing traffic to a halt. People stop dead in their tracks to gape. Soon, their comical double takes give way to amused smiles. Little kids try to pull away from their mothers as they attempt to dart after the car, which travels at a comfortable 40 km/hour. REVA's top speed is 65 km/hr.

Soon, you forget your earlier misgivings, and feeling overwhelmingly thrilled and important, turn your attention to the two on board computers. One handles the energy management system and the other controls the built-in stabiliser and auto shut-off mechanism. The REVA has a small turning radius, 11.8 feet (Yo, Shah Rukh, watch me park!) It is amazingly easy to maneouvre.

It has side-impact beams, a steel space-frame and a dent-proof body panel (made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene or ABS, the same material used by General Motors for the Saturn series). There's more: the regenerative brake actually converts the energy you expend while pressing the brake into power and sends it back to the power panel. And look, ma, no gears. Actually, no noise or pollution too. One of the owner's main tasks will be to remember to plug in the batteries overnight to recharge them. However, in case there's a power outage at home, the batteries should have enough juice to get you to work.

Then, plug in there. The car runs on 40 volts transmitted through eight batteries located beneath the seat. The batteries must be recharged every 80 kms and replaced every 40,000 kms. The REVA could turn out to be a real cool city car. Like the ad line says, 'Plug in, charge up, take off' Compact in size, it's a dream in the modern urban jungle's parking nightmare.

The two-door hatch back seats two adults comfortably and has space for two tiny tots at the back. Or you could even have an adult at the back, if he/she doesn't mind sitting hunched up and cross-legged.

Sudharshan Maini, Chairman of the Maini Group, which developed the car, says, "It's always been my dream to make Indians proud of what they can do. I wanted to prove that we can be proud of not just our cultural heritage but also our technological advances."

Making a non-polluting car was a long-cherished dream for the senior Maini, and it took concrete shape after his youngest son, Chetan, returned from the United States about two years ago. Chetan, always keen on cars, was part of student teams at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Stanford, California. The teams won prizes for building solar-powered cars. He then joined Amerigon, a start-up in the US that began work on electric cars.

Back in India, the idea of making REVA crystallised and Maini went into a collaboration with Amerigon. After getting a few minor hiccups out of the way, REVA (named after Mrs. Sudharshan Maini) is now officially available at Rs 2.4 lakh. Initially, the car is to be marketed only in Karnataka, though the Maini Group (which exports electric implant handling material to Europe and the USA) does plan to eventually export the vehicle. The makers are hopeful of the vehicle becoming a hit in countries where people are concerned about curbing pollution. As for local demand, Maini says, "My customer could be the man who is risking lives by taking his wife and two kids on a scooter. If he wants to upgrade, won't he choose a car that he can ride at just 40 paise per km?"

The buyer could also be the college student who has to drop off kids and pick up groceries. How about the elderly person who wants to retain his independence but wants easier driving, or the professional hassled daily because he can't find a parking space? And oh yes, the best part is saying goodbye to problem petrol-driven engines, carburettors, gear boxes, radiators and exhaust systems. If ever there's a problem, the REVA maintenance man has to just connect his computer to the car and discover in an instant what's wrong. Hopefully, he'll be equally quick at fixing it. .

- Sandhya Mendonca