It's a quiet revolution, and we hope this one works for the Maini Group. The REVA is India's only production electric car with a chance of changing the face of intra-city commuting and making it a pollution-free one. The REVA seats two with a bench behind that some how crams two more in.

The bug-eyed, ABS plastic bodied car, coloured brightly, will run cheerfully for as much as 80 km without a recharge, while a special economy mode can stretch that distance a little further. It borrows quite a few parts from existing automobiles, but that does not take away from the fact that it has a presence and character of its own. While the pre-production REVAs exhibited a few panel gap inconsitencies, rest assured that the ones that are being churned out for sale have improved greatly in fit and finish areas.

Being clothed in an ABS plastic bodyshell also means that the car is rustfree, can be patched up cheaply and easily and is lightweight too, stretching that electric mile a bit further.

The snouty bonner is free for a bit of luggage, a couple of attache cases, may be, apart from the spare typre, the car jack and a tool kit. Stability is assured by the cleverly placed bank of automotive lead-acid batteries below the front seats.

Yes, this little car might be India, but the REVA relies on contemporary EV technologies like regenerative braking to further conserve energy. Recharge time is about six hours on your 15-amp power supply for an eighty- percent reload, and eight hours charges it compeletely. It rides better than a Maruti 800, manoeuvres like an autorickshaw and parks like one too.

The downside? The cost- this is where the government has to step in and subsidise the ownership process, something we hope they are farsighted enough to do now.