'REVA' the first Electric car made in India, faces the twin task of introducing a toy like small family car as well as a non-polluting vehicle. Of course, the offer comes along with the bonus of the car that has a negligible cost of running. Five years ago when it hit the roads in Bangalore, umpteen eyebrows were raised on the viability of the project, given the looks of the car where the liberalization had spelled the 'Big is beautiful' mantra.

But then over the year, more and more people have opted for the tiny REVA and reaping the attendant benefits. Metro Today spoke to Mr. Chetan Maini, Managing Director of the REVA Electric Car Company (Pvt.) Ltd. on the prospects of the car. Is REVA customized for the export market and what is the number of cars manufactured for both the domestic and export markets annually? The domestic market potential with a full-fledged dealer rollout and advertising back up is approximately 400 - 500 cars per month. Internationally the potential for REVA cars are huge as they are priced 2 to 3 times lower than similar Electric Vehicles.

The REVA today conforms to EU standards and is already being test marketed in UK, Norway, Switzerland, Hong Kong, China, Ireland, Nepal, Japan and US. The first batch of cars for commercial roll out has been dispatched to Malta in July. We have sold over 500 cars and have a current production capacity of 6000 cars per annum of which 25 to 30 percent will be exported. We also plan to expand the same in view of exceeding global and domestic demands.

What next after REVA? Will it be a bigger car with a higher capacity? The vision of REVA Electric Car Company is to create Electric Vehicle platforms that cater to the city needs of a complete range of vehicles. This would include small vehicles for city mobility all the way to minibuses for public transportation. What is being done on the price front ….. is there a move to lower the existing prices? REVA offers the lowest ownership costs as compared to other cars, is three times cheaper than others EV's and provides the best in city mobility.

Though the capital investment is slightly higher the total cost of ownership is the most important factor. Considering an average running of 1200 kms per month, you can save over 1.5 lakhs over a span of 5 years if you used a REVA instead of a petrol driven car. This is because REVA gives you a running cost of 40 paise per km as compared to Rs. 2.50 on other cars.

Moreover the maintenance cost of maintenance of EV's is 40 percent lower as compared to other cars since you do not have regular replacements like spark plugs, fanbelts and filters etc. REVA is the cheapest commercially produced reliable electric car in the world. Additional support from the Government in terms of subsidies, taxation and other benefits will go a long way in reducing these prices.

Moreover, Increase in volumes and enhancement in technology in the coming years will definitely help us in reducing costs and we are currently working towards the same. 80 kms per charge does not seem to appeal much? Is the company planning to increase the kms for one charge?

Market Research reveals that 98% of the Urban population travel an average of only 40 kms a day and require a maximum speed of 40 km/ hr. Hence the REVA is ably suited for the market requirement for city mobility. In addition we also working on fast charging batteries, extended range and higher performance vehicles to cater to inter-city mobility and other market requirements.

Will the company start some charging bunks/points that may be a future necessity? Worldwide communities, industry and the government have played a large role in building infrastructure like recharging stations for EV's in places like major hotels, supermarket chains, movie theatres, airports and railway stations Taking on from the success in Los Angeles and California, REVA Electric Car Company plans to install charge points, as a part of the first phase at various strategic locations across Bangalore.

We are already in positive discussions with the Government and other private sectors to support this cause. Is something being done to improve on the features? The REVA currently offers a lot of features like dent proof panels, two computers on board, tubeless tyres, specially designed steel space frame etc., which add high value to our current models.

Based on customer feedback, we have launched a new variant called the REVA Classe' with Remote controlled air conditioner-which is the first of its kind, a high end music system, colour coded exteriors and interiors, leather seats and a host of other Add-ons. We have also incorporated a whole lot of cosmetic changes and other features on the export models to be shipped to Europe shortly.

When and how did the company think about partnering Amerigon in designing and making the car a reality ? AEV Located in California is has developed technologies for the EV market. Its substantial investment in vehicle R&D and component technology has resulted in the creation of significant EV know-how, intellectual property, component sourcing and market understanding. I have worked for Amerigon in developing EV technologies for over 6 years.

This provided us with an opportunity to work together on the development of REVA and the EV Platform. The common vision and objectives of both the companies led to the formation of a joint venture for successful productionisation of the REVA.

- Sanjeev Jain