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Small WONDER
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It's cute, colourful, battery operated, and women love it. PRASHANTH G.N. checks out the Reva, the country's only electric car which is made in the city
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IT IS small, cosy, and colourful. If you are a go-getter, a loaded laidback, or a driven techie (provided you have time on hand), this cute car may just be your picking.
The innocuous Reva — it can't really harm a soul given the speed and distance one can travel in it — gives you a break from your car powered by fossil fuel. You can chug along through rush hours without having to shift gears a hundred times and you wouldn't have to worry about the exhaust — the batteries take care of the running. The little bug, popular among the 28 to 45 types who own at least another car, is a big hit with women.
The Reva is the country's first electric vehicle with two on-board computers and an energy management system (EMS) that monitors its performance. The EMS tells you when you need to take your car in for service. The car also comes with software that updates you on its well-being everyday. A cooling and heating system, other than the blower, regulates the temperature. "This is made possible through a solid state electronic heat pump that circulates hot and cold air through the seat," the manufacturers say. More interesting is the car's tough exterior — the ABS plastic makes it dent-proof and the steel frames running through the car ensure safety. And you have 2,000 glorious shades to choose from.
Audrey Mabin, who flies microlights and who lives in Jakkur on the outskirts, drives into the city in her Reva. She likes the car because she finds it easy to drive, she doesn't need to fill petrol, change gears or top oil. She has a lemon yellow that is bright and spotty, her kind. "I am a sporty person and I like sporty cars." Who in the family thought of the Reva idea? "I, of course. My family dissuaded me but I persisted. Now, my husband and daughter are both happy. The back seat is really a little bed for my daughter."
Ms. Mabin is convinced it is a car for women. You don't hold up traffic changing gears and the low windshield ensures excellent visibility. Hemalatha Harish, former army officer, agonised for a month till her son from Germany test-drove it . She bought the car because "she wanted to make that nanogram of difference to the environment". She finds her autumn-rust Reva easy to drive and park. She also likes its minimal use of energy.
She recounts how the car survived a harrowing time year before last when a Maruti in front of it was washed away in an open storm water drain, drowning a family of three. "Water had collected up to three feet and it was midnight. Many cars were stranded as water had choked the exhausts. The Reva somehow passed through."
The pragmatic Indira Jayaprakash is happy that it is "perfect for one person. No point driving a big car." She likes the fact that she doesn't need to change gears often and can drive easy. "What better vehicle than this on Mysore Road?" She too thinks it's a ladies' car, particularly for "young women who have kids to be taken to school and back". Her car's colour, by the way, is `envy blue'.
It takes about five hours to charge the Reva's batteries. That is rather heavy on time, considering that topping a petrol tank is just a matter of minutes. Any battery-charging points in the city? None. In case you are nearing the 70-80 km mark, you'd better be near home.
But Abhay Hukku, Marketing Manager of Reva, assures you that the company is already working on this.
"We are in talks with different builders in Bangalore to see if we can install such points. We are looking to a workable situation. Depending on how it works here, we will extend it to different cities."
The other thing about the battery is electricity. It consumes nine units every time you charge it, an unavoidable fact every other day. This ups your power bill considerably. The set of eight batteries cost you Rs. 30,000 and have to be replaced after three years. All this works out to between Re. 1 to Rs. 1.25 per kilometre.
Mr. Hukku, however, observes that operating and running costs are different. The Reva's running costs work out to 40 paise per km, while petrol-driven cars cost Rs. 2.70-80 per km to run. Battery replacement is part of the operating costs and this is necessary only once in three years. If they are well maintained, they would last longer.
The lack of gears could present a problem. The only way you can park on a slope is by operating the handbrake. For the forgetful, there is an chime that alerts them to remember.
Mr. Hukku agrees that the boot space may not be too large, but points out that steel frames all round the car and the special plastic, ABS variety, could act as a cushion in case of a collision.
The car costs Rs. 2.5 lakh. Chip in a bit more and you can get a petrol-driven car that carries power and travels far. This little car is a good option as a second car confined to city driving.
And if you want to dash to that takeaway, you can do it without adding to the noxious fumes that are increasingly clouding the city.
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