To encourage its residents to buy electric vehicle that will certainly make a difference to the air quality in metros and crowded towns as well as make cities less noisy, electric vehicles are exempted from paying taxes. Electric vehicles also reduce the dependency on foreign oil and are a more efficient way of commutation.

Meanwhile Mahindra-REVA continue testing the NXR (or next generation Reva) around Bangalore. The test mule shown here was spotted by our good friend Gokulraj of ZapStore.com, while he was returning to Chennai a few days ago.

The NXR was showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo however M&M refused to give any further details about the power train.

The Reva NXR is expected to be offered in two different battery packs. The first one will be a conventional lead acid battery pack and the second one will be an advanced lithium ion battery pack (the same batteries that are used in your laptop). The lead acid battery will have an 80 km range and the lithium ion pack will be good for 160 km. Adding to that, the Reva will be offered in 3 different sizes of battery pack – small, medium and large.

At the Expo, Mahindra clearly mentioned that the prices and features will be announced during the time of launch which is expected to be before Diwali. We expect the Reva NXR (lead acid one) to be priced around 6 lakhs and the lithium ion one to be around 9 lakhs.

Distribution will also be a key for Mahindra-Maini as Reva does not have more than two dealerships in India. Mahindra can choose to sell the Reva NXR from its own dealerships, which it is doing now, or set up separate shops for the Reva. While the former feels cost effective, it definitely dilutes the Reva brand, in turn making it difficult to justify the high price tag.

[Source - FinancialExpress.com]

The Reva NXR is a two-door hatchback powered by an electric motor. The charge is stored in Lithium Ion batteries that enable it to reach a decent top speed of 104kmph and give it an adequate range of 160km on a single charge.

The Reva NXR represent new generation of tree hugging vehicles of the lines of Nissan Leaf. Mahindra said that a distance from Connaught place to New Delhi Airport which should hurt your wallets to round about 300 bucks will only cost you 10 bucks in the Reva NXR.

Mahindra REVA NXR Image Slideshow

can’t view the slideshow above? Head over to the Mahindra REVA NXR Flickr page.

This week Mahindra announced that the NXR is coming to the Delhi Auto Expo in January. The NXR is a two-door city hatchback powered by L-Ion batteries that helps it along for 160km on a single charge. Its top speed is similar to the Tata Nano’s.

This model lacks features such as rear wiper and extra pair of stop lights on the bumper. The model shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show had REVA written in block letters on the gray plastic slate beneath the windshield. On the revised model the Mahindra name and the brand logo are included.

Some benefits of owning a REVA NXR -

• Freedom from varying fuel prices – To hell with the petrol pump!
• Environment-conscious motorists earn karma points – Didn’t they tell you life is about feeling good?
• Some corporates provide subsidies for purchasing an electric vehicle and offer electricity (only to charge the car!) at discounted rates/free of cost
• Feeling of owning a unique set of wheels – The attraction it gains at every traffic signal gives you a taste of what Veyron owners go through!
• Lowered service cost – No oils, filters and belts to change
• Instant torque of an electric motor – Imagine an engine that has a sweet spot throughout the RPM band
• Silent, vibration-free operation provides improved passenger comfort; Music lovers will appreciate this more as the audio quality is much better

We’ll keep an eye out on how Mahindra markets this product to the Indian public that perceives electric cars as slow, dull and impractical.

[Image sourced from FaceBook.com/MotorVikatan]

The two-door hatchback features Lithium Ion batteries that enable it to reach a decent top speed of 104kmph and give it an adequate range of 160km on a single charge.

In a press release sent out today, Mahindra stated the NXR will be exhibited alongside an electric Verito at next month’s Delhi Auto Expo. We believed the car in question was the same model showcased in Frankfurt. Turns out Mahindra has pasted its company logo on the NXR’s front grille.

Spied near Bangalore, the REVA NXR sports a fine pearl white color revealing new details. This could be a low-end variant as it lacks fog lamps and body colored wing mirrors. Notice the windshield wiper that is of opposed type and the blackened roof.

This version of the NXR is expected to be on view at the Auto Expo next month. We’re told that Mahindra is charting plans to launch the vehicle next year on the back of rising fuel prices. The REVAi is available through certain Mahindra outlets and the new addition could be retailed alongside the predecessor.

IndianAutosBlog.com reader Bairesh Raj sent us a snap of the sturdy-looking REVA NXR testing on the Bangalore Hosur road. He left us this note -

This black REVA NXR had excellent pickup and its performance is as good as any vehicle that runs on fossil fuel. The acceleration matched me throttling in my 150cc Yamaha FZ-S. During the chase it reached a top speed of around 80kph.

REVA claims that the 2 door EV can reach a top speed of 104kph while providing a range of 160km. Unlike the current model, the next generation model gives information such as time-to-full-change, pre-heat or pre-cool the car, send you an email report on your driving habits.

In case of range anxiety, a remotely activated reserve charge will power the vehicle to the next charging point. The NXR should be launched at the Auto Expo next year.

So when Mahindra bought over Maini Motors they decided to address all those teething concerns. In 2009, Mahindra-Reva Electric Vehicle (MREV) displayed a prototype version of NXR which will succeed the current Reva. Executed by Dilip Chhabria’ design firm, it was available with either lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries. The car could hit a top speed of top speed of 104 km/hr (65 mph) and had a range of 160 km.

Now, our good friends at Motoroids have spied the car undergoing its testing phase in Chennai. The production model will have lead acid batteries and will cost under 6 lakh rupees. Hopefully the government subsidies will reduce the price further.

The company will also introduce a sporty convertible variant called the NXG and a 4 door version of the NXR in the near future.

Source – Motoroids.com

Then, they went a bit further and bought a controlling stake in Maini Reva Motors to further leverage on the EV technology.

Now, Mahindra has announced that it will produce Reva NXR 4 seater for the Indian market shortly. It will be marketed as a second vehicle for a family who is facing the brunt of rising fuel prices.

Pawan Goenka, president (automotive & farm equipment sector) M&M, said

Mahindra Reva is gearing up to launch the NXR soon and widen its electric vehicle portfolio

The company has plans to enhance the capacity of the Bangalore plant to 30,000 by 2013-14 from the current 15,000 units. The car is also expected to be priced competitively owing to a subsidy of 20% provided by government in December 2010.

Do you think that the Reva can finally be a mass market car after this move?

Rudi Schogger, managing director of GoinGreen -

I am writing to announce the sale of the last new G-Wiz out of GoinGreen until Autumn 2011, as we have come to the end of the current stock.

The G-Wiz will lose the distinction of being the only EV in Britain as their country is weeks away from witnessing the launch of a series of powerful, spacious and stylish EVs like the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Citroen C-Zero, Peugeot iOn, Nissan Leaf and our very own Indica Vista EV.

The G-Wiz might not have impressed many with its diminutive size or cartoon character styling. For everyone who liked it, there were two who didn’t. It developed a reputation for being unsafe, impractical and cramped, but it is primarily responsible for all the charging points that has popped up in Britain. It could have been the target of all petrolheads spearheaded by the likes of Jeremy Clarkson whose show TopGear mocked it by putting it in a drag race against a dining table which later was used as a crash barrier to prove its poor crash worthiness.

The critics have to admit that REVA has paved the way for global car manufacturers to introduce their EVs in Britain. It deserves more than just a pat on its back.

The incentives for EVs are attractive in Britain and naturally all the big players want a piece of the EV market. With Mahindra’s financial backing, we hope to see the more capable next generation Revas – NXG and NXR soon plying in London and busy European metros.

Source -allcarselectric via green.autoblog.com

Since the time REVA began selling EVs, it only has managed to dispatch 3,000-odd units globally. Come 2011, with the help of a new facility in Bangalore capable of producing 30,000 units/annum, and Mahindra’s dealership network, it is looking to sell about 1,300 cars in India alone bringing the grand total to 2,500, reports Business Standard.

The new Bangalore facility will be operational by April 2011 and the first of the new variants to roll out will be the 2-door REVA NXR hatchback showcased at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 2009. Mahindra REVA is expected to get a free run as there are no rivals in the electric car segment here in India. The only company capable of spoiling the party is General Motors, whose electric vehicle prototype is scheduled for only display in April.

On its official website, REVA notes the NXR will be available in 2012 and the NXG in 2013. Does the company intend to sell 1,300 units of the REVAi in India next year?

Source – Business-standard.com

Mahindra REVA informs us that its electric vehicle REVAi will be available at 5 Mahindra dealerships in Hyderabad.

Mr. R. Chandramouli, Chief of Operations, Mahindra REVA -

We are delighted to launch the REVAi in Hyderabad where there is already a great deal of interest in our vehicles. With issues such as climate change and carbon footprint taking centre stage globally, eco-friendly transportation has become the need of the hour. The electric vehicle market is hence, poised to grow rapidly. Mahindra’s extensive distribution network, coupled with our unique finance plan will help us make significant inroads into the local market

Mahindra REVA will launch NXG in 2011 and the NXR perhaps in 2012. The NXR and NXG were shown at Frankfurt 2008.

Press Release

Mahindra REVA launches REVAi in Hyderabad

Eco-friendly, ‘green’ car to be available from 5 Mahindra Dealer outlets in the city

Honourable Sabita Indira Reddy P. from the Ministry of Home, Jails, Fire Services and Sainik Welfare tries her hand at the wheel of the REVAi at its launch in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, November 03, 2010: Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (Mahindra REVA), one of the pioneers of electric vehicle technology in India, today announced that its REVAi vehicle will be available at select Mahindra dealerships in Hyderabad.

This is the first major initiative announced by the company post its acquisition by the US $ 7.1 billion Mahindra Group in May 2010. The Honourable Sabita Indira Reddy P. from the Ministry of Home, Jails, Fire Services and Sainik Welfare, handed over the keys of the first two REVAi vehicles to Mr. Anurag Bajaj of the Park Hotel, Hyderabad.

“We are delighted to launch the REVAi in Hyderabad where there is already a great deal of interest in our vehicles. With issues such as climate change and carbon footprint taking centre stage globally, eco-friendly transportation has become the need of the hour. The electric vehicle market is hence, poised to grow rapidly. Mahindra’s extensive distribution network, coupled with our unique finance plan will help us make significant inroads into the local market,” said Mr. R. Chandramouli, Chief of Operations, Mahindra REVA.

The company has also tied-up with Mahindra finance which will enable them to offer customers a unique financing plan. REVAi buyers can now pay an interest free, refundable deposit of Rs. 1,00,000/-, followed by monthly instalments of Rs. 8999/- for a period of 36 months (3 years) and drive home a REVAi. At the end of 3 years, the customer can either continue using the car by making a final payment of Rs. 50,000/- or return the car and claim the refundable deposit of Rs. 1,00,000/-.

The REVAi is a technologically advanced car equipped with a `boost’ mode for acceleration and power. It also has a ‘hill restraint’ feature which allows enhanced negotiation on slopes. As an eco-friendly and economical car, it offers ease of driving without clutch and gears. Its small size makes parking hassle-free and manoeuvrable for safe driving on city roads. Further, the vehicle can drive at 80 km per hour with acceleration from 0-40 km in 7 seconds.

REVA’s patented technology incorporated in its Energy Management System (EMS) ensures optimum performance and life from the battery. The car also has a regenerative braking system by which energy is pumped to the battery while slowing down or applying the brakes. With a range of up to 80 km per charge, the REVAi is suitable for most journeys within the city. Its automatic drive, no emission and no noise make it the ‘perfect city car’.

About Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicles Pvt Ltd

Mahindra REVA is a pioneer of EV (electric vehicle) technologies and one of the first companies to introduce electric vehicles worldwide. Founded in 1994 as REVA Electric Car Company, a joint venture between the Maini Group of Bangalore and AEV LLC of USA, the company was acquired in May 2010 by the USD 7.1 billion Mahindra Group of India. The REVA electric vehicle was launched in Bangalore in 2001 and in London in 2004, (latter under the G-Wiz brand). In September 2009, at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the company unveiled two new cars, the 4 seat REVA NXR and the 2 seat REVA NXG.

Today Mahindra Reva has one of the largest deployed fleets of electric cars in the global market and has accumulated data from more than 100 million km of user experience. The company’s electric vehicle platforms, technologies and regional vehicle assembly are offered under license.

Mahindra Reva has 280 employees and is headquartered at the Bommasandra Industrial Area in Bangalore, India, next to Electronic City, one of the world’s technology hubs.

In 2006 REVA was acclaimed by Businessworld India as one of India’s ‘Cool Companies’ and in 2008 was the recipient of the Frost & Sullivan Automotive Power train Company of the Year award. In 2010 Overdrive and CNBC TV 18 declared the REVAi as the Green Car of the Year.