Reva
Reva and General Motors India announce partnership for development of electric vehicles
Indian-based Reva Electric Car Company and General Motors India have announced a partnership, for the development of electric vehicles for the India market. Both companies will jointly develop car platforms, electric vehicle technology and advanced vehicle control systems and their goal is to create and launch an affordable small car for domestic consumers.
According to the press release, both companies have begun feasibility studies of General Motors’ small vehicle platforms to host the electric technology, hence it is safe to expect the upcoming electric vehicle to feature a General Motors platform. Both companies also revealed that more information regarding the new electric car will be released soon and production will start in 2010.
“We are pleased to be joining hands with Reva, a leader in the development of electric drivetrains and control systems. 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,” said GM India’s President and Managing Director Karl Slym.
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.” Reva has also revealed the all-electric Reva NXR and the NXG showcar (pictured above) at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Frankfurt 2009: Indian-based Reva reveals the all-electric Reva NXR
UPDATE: Two videos added.
Bangalore-based auto maker Reva, has officially unveiled the Reva NXR, which is a 3-door, 4-seater all electric hatchback. It has a top speed of 104 km/h along with a 160 kilometers driving range. A full charge would take about eight hours, but by using a fast charger for 15 minutes, the driver would be able to enjoy 40 kilometers of driving range.
Features include keyless entry, dual charge ports, intelligent digital display and a range of telematics that includes SMS alerts and commands such as distance-to-empty and time-to-full charge, remote cabin heat/cool, a monthly eco-drive check by email, service and insurance alerts, remote diagnostics and healing and the REVive remote emergency charge.
REVive acts like an invisible reserve fuel tank and addresses “range anxiety”. If a customer runs out of charge, he or she can telephone or SMS Reva’s customer support centre. The advanced telematics feature will assess the car’s batteries remotely and activate a reserve amount of energy while protecting the battery life. Within minutes, a few extra kilometres of range are made available via the telematics.
Potential buyers can purchase the battery pack separately, but a monthly fee will be charged. The fee can include electricity, telematics and other services. Without the lithium-ion battery pack, the NXR can be yours for 14,995 Euros, while the model with the lead acid battery pack is priced at 9,995 Euros (excluding the battery pack). This version has a top speed of 80 km/h and a driving range that is rated at 80 kilometers.
Orders can be placed starting from now as production for the Reva NXR is scheduled to start early next year. The auto maker, which was formed as a joint venture between Maini Group of India and AEV LLC of California and backed by US investors Global Environment Fund and Draper Fisher Jurvetso, also presented the Reva NXG show car at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The NXG (which looks better than the NXR if you ask me) is a 2-door, 2-seater electric car with a targa top. It has a top speed of 130 km/h and can deliver 200 kilometers which a full charge.
This sportier version is expected to be produced in 2011 and is priced at 23,000 Euros, excluding batteries, and including the monthly mobility fee. To learn more on how to place an order, please click here. Continue reading to view high-res images of the Reva NXR and NXG models. Read the rest of this entry.
Two electric cars by Reva heading to Frankfurt, will also reveal a remote recharge technology
Indian-based Reva will be at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show with two electric cars. First up is the all-electric production Reva NXR (pictured above), which is a 4-seater, 3-door hatchback. Interested buyers can place orders for the NXR at the show and the NXR will go into production by early next year. The other vehicle is the Reva NXG show car. It is a sporty 2-seater with a targa roof. This sportier model is expected to hit the market in 2011.
The auto maker also revealed that it will launch a unique technology called REVive at the motor event, that will be available with the above mentioned models. It can address “range anxiety” and acts like an invisible reserve fuel tank. Apparently, the driver just has to telephone or SMS Reva for an instant remote recharge should they run out of charge – if it is really what Reva says it is, its a fantastic piece of technology, but I am still cracking my head about how it works. Reva did not reveal further details about the technology, but lets hope it will once both cars are revealed in Frankfurt.
Reva is part of the Reva Electric Car Company, a Bangalore (India)-based company that was formed as a joint venture between Maini Group of India and AEV LLC of California and backed by US investors Global Environment Fund and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.
