Monday, March 18, 2013
By Pawan Rana
Mahindra Reva E2O, small green car with ultra modern features
Mahindra has made some early bird attempts to enter the alternative power sources to power its cars but it has come with a thud with the Mahindra Reva E20 launch today. Priced Rs 5.96 lakh on road in New Delhi, the car seems to have more features than it figures in its price. Regenerative braking, touch to infuse life in dead batteries, solar power charging, seating for four, etc…etc. One of the most striking features of the car is that it can be accessed and many of its features can be controlled using a Smartphone, BlackBerry or an iPhone. This means the car literally speaks to you and responds to your instructions. Even if you forget to lock your Reva e2o you can just lock it using your smartphone. In addition to this, remote locking and unlocking besides AC/Heater power on/off is also possible using the app on the mobile device. Furthermore, the car’s health and other stats can be accessed using the mobile.
Though the car initially costs around Rs 6 lakh on road, it is like one time investment. As per an estimate, if the car runs over 1200 km per month, the car will be saving around Rs 3.5 lakh in five years as compared to a petrol or diesel car. Minimum mechanical parts means that there is no friction related losses and thus the car is absolutely a no maintenance car. Ultra light Lithium ion 48v batteries power this car and it can go up to 100 km in one single charge. The recharging time of Reva e2o is 5 hours and it can get a quick charge in 1 hr and can go up 20 kms with that.
Another feature of the car is the Revive Technology. Suppose the car runs out of battery and there is no charging point nearby. Using this technology, one just need to tap a button on the smartphone app and the car will have power to go for as long as 8-10 kms to find the nearest charging point. In Delhi and Mumbai, the car maker will be setting up 100 charging points each. Some of which are already set up. Besides, the car can be charged using a 3m x 3m solar panel.
With the rise in petrol and diesel prices, India is ready for electric cars, said Anand Mahindra in his speech at the launch of the car in New Delhi today. The car maker has ambitious plans for the E20 and it will be launching it in Europe in early next year after the car gets ESP and passes some crash tests as per the EU norms.
