Blast from the past

In this electric vehicle special issue, it would be treason if we did not pay homage to the very first mass produced electric car in India - the Maini Reva. Rahul Ghosh tells you all about the little devil

It was just before the Tata Nano was revealed at the Auto Expo when we got to drive the little Maini Reva. The car was delivered to our office and much to the amusement of the entire team and the guards at the gate. The tiny little Reva quietly zipped through the gates as the guards wondered how this car was so silent. Nevertheless, we somehow managed to get the Reva free from the gathering crowd and literally hid it in our basement parking.

But before we delve into the car, here is how it came into existence. Chetan Maini had a vision far beyond anyone else’s and he dared to create his own electric car company called the Reva Electric Car Company Ltd in Bengaluru. The manufacturing unit was rather basic and people could be seen hand assembling the little Reva. However, the Reva struck a chord in international markets and was sold as the G-Whiz in the UK. In India though, people were not too sure if they wanted to pay the rather hefty sum of money for a plastic car with a limited range. Nevertheless the Reva was selling across the country and dealerships starting springing up across India.

Coming back to our experience with the Reva, we must say that for the time it was rather unique. The car was a bit tall and the bonnet was next to being nonexistent. The little round headlamps gave it a cartoonish appearance. The profile exposed the oddball design further. At the back, there was a large glass tail gate which could be opened to access the boot. We still remember people knocking on it to check if it was metal or plastic. They were further amused to find that it was indeed plastic. The build quality of the Reva was nothing to talk about as it displayed panel gaps through which we could pass a little finger. But still it was something which attracted many. Inside the Reva came as a surprise with a tiny dash and an audio system in the middle. It even had an AC. Next to the steering wheel and on the right of the instrument panel was positioned the gear knob which read F (forward), B (boost) and R (reverse). The Reva was deemed a four seater and we would like to speak to the person who thought that it could be possible to fit in four in the Reva. The front two buckets could be adjusted and once done there was literally no space left for the back seat passenger’s legs. Even kids would not fit in the Reva’s back seat. But still, for the two up front it was a fun place to be in.

Lithium-ion battery tech was a thing of dreams back then and the Reva used lead-acid batteries instead to power the 13kW electric motor. The batteries could be replenished fully in eight hours which would keep the car going

PEOPLE AT THAT TIME EXPECTED A CAR OR A TWO-WHEELER TO EMIT NOISE WHILE HEADING TOWARDS THEM. IN THE REVA THERE WAS NONE

for 80km. That’s on paper, mind you. Other wise 80 per cent charge could be accumulated in two and a half hours. The spec sheet also said that the Reva could touch 80kmph but what it did not say was what happened to the range when driven at those speeds. Nevertheless, with the Reva charged up overnight, we head out for a drive.

As we trundled out of our underground parking, the only noises to be heard were the creaks from the plastic body panels. Just out of the gate and we faced our first big hurdle. People at that time expected a car or a twowheeler to emit noise while heading towards them. But in the Reva, there was none. So inevitably we had to rely heavily on the horn. Heads turned and eyes rolled as we drove through the busy streets of Noida’s business district towards the then vast open expressway. In the city streets, the Reva was pure joy despite not having power assist steering. It would dart through the smallest of gaps and leave the crowds behind. The AC was keeping us cool although the sliding windows played spoilt sport and let out a lot of the cool air from within.

Once on the open highway, being in the Reva was scary. Even normal SUVs felt like tanks passing us. However the scariest bit was when we tried to overtake a substantially long truck. It was a never ending affair until we hit the boost mode. The little Reva suddenly sped up to 80kmph and the speed at which the battery charge gauge was coming down ensured my first ever bout of range anxiety. Nevertheless, we slotted back to ‘F’ and the massive truck literally whizzed past us. Now whether we could complete our shoot in one charge is something which we should leave for another story. But the fundamental question to answer is whether the Maini Reva was worth spending a rather high Rs 3.20 lakh back in 2011? Actually the answer to that question is no! The Maruti Suzuki 800 was ruling thr roost then and was frugal enough, was spacious enough and at the same time didn’t need eight hours to get going again. So the Reva back then did not make sense. Eventually the Reva Electric Car Company was taken over by Mahindra and from then on the company has continued launching new generation electric models. Expect a lot more action on this front starting this year.