Slow, clunky, even potentially “life-threatening” – these are just a handful of the insults that have been thrown the way of electric car maker REVA and particularly its G-Wiz model.

Despite being a pioneer in the electric car field, the firm saw its image tarnished particularly by safety concerns when a test by Top Gear Magazine, following Euro NCAP specifications, found that occupants could suffer “serious or life threatening” injuries in a 40mph crash. As a result, REVA made a number of revisions to its most recent models including the addition of front disk brakes, a collapsible steering column and a reinforced chassis – but that still wasn’t enough to lift the cloud that loomed over a vehicle that has become the punch-line to as many jokes as Skoda was in the 80s.

However, while competition mounts in the industry with big name manufacturers finally jumping on the electric car bandwagon, REVA is determined not to be left behind and is building what will be the biggest factory making battery-powered city commuter cars, in the world.

Leaders of the pack

According to Chetan Maini, the man behind the company, the factory represents the first mass production of a green car. The entire building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited and has a 30,000 capacity. It will allow REVA to boast one of the lowest dirt-to-dust carbon footprints in the automotive world.

The building coincides with the announcement in September that General Motors will team up with the company to develop a plug-in version of the best-selling GM Spark mini-car as the US giant looks to embrace electric powered driving.

Indeed REVA is braced for the future having already unveiled several new models of its own that feature sleeker looks than the G-Wiz which has often been compared to a golf cart. Among them, is the three-door, four-seat REVA NXR which has been styled by well-known Indian car designer Dilip Chhabria, and is scheduled for export production during the second quarter of 2010 and will be available with either lead acid or lithium-ion batteries.

In Europe, the car will fall under NCAP crash test regulations and the inter-city model has a top speed of 65mph with a range of 99miles, making it comparable to most of the battery electric vehicles being touted by leading manufacturers. Its interior is a significant improvement on the G-Wiz and the back seat comfortably fits two adults. The NXR also has several unique features, including the REVive battery charging system – telematic remote access to the car’s on-board energy management system allows REVA to analyse a near depleted battery when requested with the support centre also able to determine the battery’s condition within seconds, providing a virtual back-up battery while minimising the risk of damage due to depletion. The car will go on sale for around €10,000 and can be charged in just 90minutes.

Also unveiled at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show was the REVA NXG, which is scheduled for production in 2011. This two-seat sports car will also feature the drivetrain technology and REVive system and is expected to be a standout in its class for performance. It will have a 125mile range and an 80mph top speed and is expected to sell for around €23,000.

Meanwhile, REVA’s venture with GM is part of a three-pronged strategy with the company planning to make its own cars under the REVA brand, franchise production in countries such as the United States and license the technology for use by global companies. The two firms have promised that the new electrically powered Spark will be on Indian roads within a year with REVA clearly targeting customers that want a vehicle for city jaunts or as a secondary car for short journeys.

Bouncing back

There are around 3,000 G-Wiz models on the roads of India and the UK with the company having been selling the cars for around eight years. The firm was originally formed in 1994 as a joint venture between the family owned Maini group and AEV of the United States but it took around seven years for the first REVA model to go on sale.

Now Maini is hoping for annual sales of “5,000 plus” for the next three years and then 30,000 annually from cars produced at his new Bangalore factory, as governments switch their focus to environmentally friendly vehicles.

The story of REVA is arguably one of the most endearing in the automotive world. Maini himself was inspired to form his own car company after competing in a solar-powered race in 1990, in which his vehicle finished third ahead of those from many global car companies. Seeing how cities are polluted, particularly in his home country, he felt inspired to create a kinder technology.

Now, after much derision, it seems the world is finally ready to embrace his vision – and here’s hoping that this pioneering company can enjoy the success his forethought and ambition deserve.

Faye Sunderland