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

It’s not just Mum who has gone to Iceland… it is electric cars too, with the REVA Electric Car Company signing an agreement with Northern Lights Energy (NLE) to jointly develop the market in Iceland.

Northern Lights is the initiator of the 2012 charging infrastructure project and provides infrastructure and services for electric vehicles based in the country. It will have exclusive distribution rights for the NXR model, which was premiered by REVA at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, as well as follow-up models including the coupe NXG which is scheduled to be launched in 2011.

The NXR is a three-door, four-seat family hatchback design for urban driving. It has a top speed of 65mph and a range of 99 miles per charge. Using the 90minute fast charge it offers an effective range of 199 miles a day – while a fast charge for 15minutes will provide a 25mile range,

Back in September, REVA announced a joint venture with General Motors India to provide both energy management systems and the electric powertrain for the new Chevrolet Spark, and it also announced a new 30,000 unit REVA assembly plant. Iceland is now being considered as a possible destination for a European assembly plant.

Meanwhile, NLE, which is an Icelandic investment company with a particular focus on environmental projects, is also working on a charging infrastructure system for electric vehicles and a vehicle exchange service to support the adoption of electric cars in the country. In addition to importing new electric vehicles to Iceland, it is working on developing systems to convert the current internal combustion engine car fleet into electric cars. According to Sighvatur Larusson, the chief operating officer of NLE, the aim is to place Iceland at the forefront of countries using sustainable energy for its personal vehicle fleet.

Sales and marketing of the car is expected to begin in the second half of 2010 with customer deliveries at the end of the same year.

US car giant GM is to develop and market a small, cheap electric car for the Indian market. The car maker will develop the car in conjunction with Reva, the manufacturer of electric vehicles, best known for its G-Wiz models in the UK.

General Motors India and Reva Electric Car Company announced today in New Delhi the signing of an agreement to cooperate in the development of electric vehicles for the India.

GM India and Reva will jointly develop car platforms and electric vehicle technology for the vehicle.
“We are pleased to be joining hands with Reva, a leader in the development of electric drivetrains and control systems,” said GM India President and Managing Director Karl Slym. 

“We will also work closely with the government of India, which has expressed a goal of reducing fossil fuel dependence, in the development of an electric vehicle infrastructure.  We look forward to giving our customers a new choice of environmentally friendly products.”

The two companies have begun feasibility studies of GM’s small vehicle platforms to host the electric technology. GM and Reva plan to announce more details about the vehicle soon and begin production in 2010.
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Chetan Maini, Deputy Chairman and Chief Technology Officer of Reva, said: “We are extremely happy that we have found a partner in GM India that shares our passion for reducing carbon emissions.  Reva and GM India will leverage our companies’ strengths to help make India a global hub for the development and manufacture of electric vehicles and related technologies.  Our unique collaboration has the potential to result in far-reaching changes for the industry.”

“Development of small electric vehicles is a growth area for the automotive industry.  We expect cooperation with Reva in India to accelerate GM’s progress to meet the emerging needs in many parts of the world,” said Nick Reilly, President of General Motors International Operations.

After recently emerging from bankruptcy, GM is pursuing a policy of increasingly focusing on alternative fuel as part of its restructuring process.

One of its best known electrical models, Chevrolet Volt, which is scheduled to start production in the United States in late 2010, is expected to travel up to 40 miles (64 kilometers) on electricity from a single battery charge and be able to extend its overall range to more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) with its flex fuel-powered engine-generator.

It’s not just the big name manufacturers lining up new concepts for the Frankfurt International Motor Show – the Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) will also be getting in on the act.

The company plans to unveil two new electric cars at the show which kicks off next week. One is the REVA NXR, which is a four-seat, three-door hatchback family vehicle that will be available for order at the show even though production is not scheduled to begin until next year.

On top of that, REVA will also unveil the REVA NXG, which is a sporty two-seat vehicle with a targa roof designed by Dilip Chhabria of the automotive company DC Design.

The India-based company has high hopes for the new vehicles which it believes can further its success worldwide. It is already selling or being test-marketed in 24 countries and has the largest deployed fleet of electric cars on the market with more than 3,000 electric vehicles on the road.

As part of its expansion, the company is also building a new vehicle assembly plant in Bangalore with a capacity of 30,000 units a year.

REVA Electric Car Company Private Ltd. (RECC), based in Bangalore, India, was established in 1994 as a joint venture between the Maini Group India and AEV LLC, California USA, to manufacture environment-friendly and cost-effective electric vehicles. REVA is best known in the UK as the manufacturers of the G-Wiz model electric vehicle. Shot to fame through the sales to celebrities such as Jonathan Ross, Jerry Hall and Kristin Scott Thomas and due to the cost-effectiveness of their vehicles; REVA’s G-Wiz quickly became inner-city icon.

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk interviewed Keith Johnston (pictured) in January 2009.

REVA interview (January 2009)

Electric vehicle manufacturer, Reva Electric Car Company (REVA) has announced the European launch of its lithium-ion (li-ion) battery powered EV- the REVA L-ion. Based on the REVAi platform used in current models such as the popular G-Wiz, the REVA L-ion is the result of more than two years of testing, with a range of 120 km (75 miles) per charge and a maximum speed of 80 km (50 miles) per hour. REVA is also introducing a fast charge station capable of charging the REVA L-ion to 90 per cent in one hour.

REVA’s latest EV platform now offers an increased range, faster acceleration, shorter charging time, less energy consumption, improved cold weather performance, maintenance-free battery operation and a longer operating life. REVA has also developed a new proprietary ‘intelligent’ battery management system which the company claims can tracks the performance of each cell of the battery for uninterrupted performance.  Reva’s confidence in their battery means that the EV comes with a three-year battery warranty to be provided to customers.

While electric cars are struggling to present an image of reliability and practicality, REVA believe that the new extended driving range means their vehicles will be more than able to cope with the majority of journey needs.  Research conducted by Professor Julia King for 2008’s King Review of low carbon cars concludes that 93 per cent of car journeys are less than 40 kms (25 miles) and 97 per cent are less than 80 kms (50 miles). REVA’s own research in 20 cities worldwide also found that city driving and the number of short trips made is similar to the results found here in the UK. REVA conclude that the combination of increased range and speed means that the L-ion’s usage could be extended to the suburbs and means that up to 95 per cent of all car journeys can be completed without the requirement to recharge.

The new REVA off-board fast charge station, which gives a 90 per cent charge in one hour, uses three-phase power. It is primarily aimed at organisations that require constant vehicle availability during the day and will be offered to purchase or lease. The REVA L-ion’s normal full charging time is six hours using ordinary mains electricity, with an 80 per cent charge taking 3.5 hours.

“With the REVAi and REVA L-ion, we are now able to offer a choice of performance options to suit commuter needs and preferences. The introduction of fast charge stations really opens up the market to reach new customers and increase the availability of EVs. Local authorities and businesses can now create the charging and parking infrastructure necessary to make zero- emission personal transport an everyday reality,” said Chetan Maini, REVA’s deputy chairman and chief technology officer.

The REVA L-ion EV and fast charge stations will be available to pre-order from REVA distributors in Norway, UK, France, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Belgium and Ireland from February 2009, with the first test drive vehicles and customer deliveries commencing May 2009. Customers will have the option of outright purchase or battery leasing, with prices to be announced by the end of January.  REVA’s European expansion, under the guidance of Keith Johnston, president of European operations, will continue throughout 2009, with new distributors being sought in all European countries.

REVA is also developing upgrade kits that will enable existing REVA (G-Wiz in the UK) owners with an ac motor and lead acid powertrain to upgrade to the lithium-ion powertrain later in 2009.

Following REVA’s appointment of Keith Johnston as president of European operations, the Bangalore-based company is now pressing ahead with its planned European-wide distribution drive for its REVA electric car.

Building on the test market successes of the REVA in Bangalore and the REVA G-Wiz in London – with approximately 1,000 of this now-iconic EV sold in each city – the REVA is also now available in Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Cyprus, Greece and Norway with a master importer/distributor being sought for all remaining European countries.

Service records and in-car computer data show that worldwide, REVA customers have completed more than 50 million kms of driving, providing invaluable feedback that has been incorporated into REVA’s product development programme.

‘We are serious about establishing REVA as a global electric car brand. With certain industry predictions forecasting that electric cars will constitute 20% to 25% of all new car sales by 2020, we hope to build on our early success as a technology innovator and succeed in this exciting new segment,’ says Keith Johnston.

REVA’s aim is to launch one new electric car per year from 2009 and working through distributors, will be developing a range of sales and after sales operating models appropriate to each country REVA will also work with utility companies and city authorities to introduce charging infrastructure and incentives and lobby individual governments and the EU to co-ordinate a clear and consistent EV policy that gives priority to emission-free vehicles.

‘The demand for EVs is expected to exceed supply and REVA is already well placed to take advantage of this by being able to provide the market with an established current model and future models,’ says Keith Johnston.