Taking advantage of the sops for eco-friendly cars, REVA, India's first electric car, has secured export orders from the Uk and Japan.
Also, the REVA Electric Car Company (RECO) is planning to export the REVA to Malta, Malaysia and Japan by 2003-end, and is hopeful of getting export certification from Germany in a month's time. RECC has stepped up its production capacity to 6,000 units per year to meet the demand.
"Going green, our partner in the UK is targeting a 1 percent share in the car market of major cities, where it will be
selling the REVA. They will be entering on e new city in the UK every year," said Chetan Maini, managing director of RECC.
"We have improved the features of the REVA to export it to the UK from next month," Maini added.
Ironically, the REVA has only met with limited success in India, the country of its origin, where only 275 cars have been sold since July 2001, when the car was launched.
The REVA cost around Rs. 2.5 Lakh in Bangalore, of which over Rs. 50,000 are due to various taxes and levies.
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The REVA, a two- door hatchback which can seat two adults and two children, has been jointly developed by
RECC, a part of the Bangalore base Maini group and the US-based EEG.
Astronomical car parking charges in the UK could prove to be blessing for the
REVA. A new legislation is set to be implemented early next year which will impose a "congestion tax" of up to 5 pounds on cars parked in the main business districts in London.
However, eco-friendly vehicles such as electric vehicles (read REVA) have been spared the parking charges in these districts. The new legislation, once implemented, is expected to result in a sharp growth of eco-friendly vehicles in the UK.
RECC, which has already tied up with the UK-based retailer Green going to export the REVA from December, is in a position to benefit from this, company executives feel.
-V Phani Kumar
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