REVA

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For other uses, see Reva (disambiguation).
REVAi
Reva Electric Car 2008.jpg
Manufacturer REVA Electric Car Company
Also called REVA G-Wiz i
Production 2001 - present
Assembly Bangalore, India
Class Electric, microcar
Body style(s) 3-door hatchback
Layout Rear engine, Rear wheel drive
Length 2.6 m (100 in)
Width 1.3 m (51 in)
Height 1.5 m (59 in)
Fuel capacity 200 A·h (9.6 kWh)
Electric range 80 km (50 miles) on 8-hour charge

REVA (REVA G-Wiz i in the UK market[1]) is a brand of electric cars from India intended for use as city cars.

More REVAs have been produced than any other currently selling electric car[citation needed] and sales are increasing.[2]

It is manufactured by the REVA Electric Car Company (RECC) in Bangalore (India), currently the world's leading electric car manufacturing company.[3]

Contents

[edit] Design

The REVA is a small 3-door hatchback measuring 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) long, 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) wide and 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) high. The car can accommodate two adults in the front and two children in the rear. The back seats can fold down to provide cargo space. The maximum passenger and cargo weight is 270 kg (600 lb).

The REVA is intended for city trips and commuting, particularly in congested traffic. It is registered in Europe as a heavy quadricycle (category L7). It may be exported to the USA with a speed limiter that limits the speed to 25 miles per hour for use as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV).

Three models are available: REVA (now discontinued), REVAi (with lead-acid batteries) and REVA L-ion (with lithium-ion batteries). Two further models, the NXR and the NXG have been announced ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show.

[edit] First model

The first model, produced from 2001 to 2007, was simply called REVA (G-Wiz in the UK). Its power flowed through a 400 amp motor controller to a DC motor rated at 4.8 kW (6.4 hp), with a maximum of 13.1 kW (17.6 hp). Power came from eight 6 V, 200 A h, lead-acid batteries located under the front seats and wired in series to create 48 V. This model did not have the strengthened chassis that allows subsequent models to pass a crash test at 40 km/h (25 mph).

[edit] REVAi

REVA i Electric power
Traction motor AC, 13 kW peak power
Charger Onboard
Charging connector Cable to standard domestic 230 V 13 A outlet
Charge time 8 hours to full power
Pack voltage 48 V
Battery type 8 lead-acid batteries
Battery rating 6 V, 200 A h each
Maximum speed 80 km/h (50 mph)

In January 2008, a new model was introduced, the REVAi (G-Wiz i in the UK). It has an AC drive system which raises the maximum speed to 80 km/h (50 mph). The power flows through a 350 Amp motor controller to a 3-phase AC motor rated at 13 kW (17 hp) peak. Like the REVA, power comes from eight 6 V, 200 A h lead-acid batteries located under the front seats.

It has a "boost" switch that gives 40% extra torque for improved acceleration and hill climbing and increases the top speed to 80 km/h (50 mph). It weighs 665 kg (1,470 lb), including 270 kg (600 lb) batteries. The nominal range is 80 km (50 mi),[4] but driving fast or using the heater or air conditioner reduces the range.[5] Several new safety features have been added, such as front disc brakes, a collapsible steering column, and a much revised and reinforced chassis that has been successfully crash tested at 40 km/h (25 mph) by ARAI in India.[6]

[edit] REVA L-ion

In January 2009, a new model was launched, the REVA L-ion. It is similar to the REVAi but powered by high performance lithium-ion batteries, which reduce the car's curb weight to 565 kg (1,250 lb), offer greater acceleration, reduce charging time to six hours, and extend the nominal range to 120 km (75 mi).[7] The performance of these batteries is also less affected by variations in temperature.[8] In addition to the Li-ion batteries, the REVA L-ion will also feature a solar panel affixed to the roof for utilizing solar energy.[9]

In addition to the on-board battery charger, an off-board charging station requiring 3-phase power is available which gives a 90 percent charge in one hour.[7]

[edit] REVA NXR

The 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show saw the unveiling of a new M1 class vehicle known as the NXR. Domestic production is set to begin in the coming months with export production scheduled for the second quarter of 2010. The NXR will be available with either lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries. Well known Indian car designer Dilip Chhabria, is responsible for the styling.

Range, speed, safety and interior specifications all fall along the lines of a new generation of battery electric vehicles. In Europe, the car will fall under NCAP crash testing regulations. The IC (inter-City) model has a top speed of 104 km/h (65 mph) and a range of 160 km (99 mi). The interior is of a far higher grade when compared to the earlier REVA quadracycle and the back seats now comfortably fit 2 adults.

The NXR has some unusual features, one being its REVive battery charging system. Telematic remote access to the car's on-board Energy Management System allows REVA to analyse a near depleted battery upon request. Their support centre can individually determine the battery condition within seconds and allow access to the remaining charge. This serves as a virtual back-up battery while minimising the risk of damage to the powerpack due to depletion.

[edit] REVA NXG

The Frankfurt Motor Show also saw the unveiling of a show car known as the NXG. Production is scheduled for 2011. The NXG will also feature REVA's patented drive-train technology and the REVive system. The two-seater sports car is expected to stand out for performance and speed.

[edit] Cost and price

The current price in the UK (where it is marketed as the G-Wiz i) is approximately £8,495 for the standard model, or £15795 for the L-Ion model.[10] It qualifies for exemption from the London congestion charge due to being an electrically propelled vehicle.[11] The REVA is also sold in other European countries, including Spain and Norway. In Costa Rica, the REVAi was launched in March 2009 and is sold for US$13,000.[12] In the Chilean market will be sold for US$12,000.[13]

REVA is sold for INR 350,000 (Indian Rupees) in India and has a "running cost of just 40 paise/km" (40 paise [0.008 US cent]/km), considering the Indian petrol price of $1.3/liter.[14]

[edit] Safety concerns

The REVA is exempt from most European crash test rules, because its low weight and power registers it in the European "heavy quadricycle" category instead of the "car" category.

The UK Department for Transport found “serious safety concerns” after crashing a now discontinued G-Wiz at 56 km/h (35 mph) into a deformable barrier on 24 April 2007,[15] which is the normal test for cars. Likewise, a test commissioned by Top Gear Magazine that followed the Euro NCAP crash test specifications found that the occupants would suffer "serious or life-threatening" injuries in a 64 km/h (40 mph) crash.[16]

As a result, the current REVA i and REVA L-ion models include several new safety features such as front disk brakes, a collapsible steering column, and a much revised and reinforced chassis that has been successfully crash tested in India by ARAI. A 40 km/h (25 mph) frontal crash test video of the new model is available online.[6]

The REVA Electric Car Company (RECC) claims the car has an excellent safety record: "In over 40 million km of Reva usage, there has not been a single fatality or serious injury".[17] Indeed, because of its limited range and top speed, it is mostly driven in slow urban traffic where hazardous situations requiring advanced safety features are less likely.

[edit] Future

A new 30,000 capacity assembly plant in Bangalore has reached completion. It is currently the world's largest operational example of a plant specially dedicated to the assembly of battery electric vehicles. The entire building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited allowing the REVA to boast one of the lowest dirt-to-dust carbon footprints in the automotive world.

On 24 September 2009, RECC and General Motors India announced a collaborative partnership to bring electric vehicles to the Indian market.

RECC is partnering with Bannon Automotive to set up a manufacturing base in upstate New York to produce the NXR model.

[edit] Competitors in light electric vehicles

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Driving Down Pollution". GoinGreen. http://www.goingreen.co.uk/store. Retrieved 2009-05-04. 
  2. ^ "Indian electric-car maker gears up for global market". The Peninsula On-line. 2007-08-17. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Business_News&subsection=market+news&month=August2007&file=Business_News2007081735819.xml. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  3. ^ "In The Slow Lane". Newsweek:para 3. 2008-02-16. http://www.newsweek.com/id/112730/output/print. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  4. ^ "The REVA". Reva India. http://www.revaindia.com/aboutevs.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  5. ^ "G-Wiz — our urban friend's electric". Scotland on Sunday. 2006-04-30. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/uk/GWiz--our-urban-friends.2771500.jp. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  6. ^ a b REVA i safety
  7. ^ a b Reva Electric Car Company offering lithium ion option
  8. ^ GoinGreen - G-Wiz FAQ
  9. ^ "Delhi vs. Detroit: India's Cheaper, Greener Cars | Newsweek Business". Newsweek.com. http://www.newsweek.com/id/192145?from=rss. Retrieved 2009-05-04. 
  10. ^ "The new G-Whiz". GoinGreen. http://www.goingreen.co.uk/store. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  11. ^ Discounts and exemptions | Transport for London
  12. ^ Alejandro Vargas (2009-03-13). "Automóvil eléctrico ya recorre calles del país" (in Spanish). La Nación. http://www.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/marzo/14/aldea1904753.html. Retrieved 2009-04-20. 
  13. ^ "El Reva, auto de la India 100% eléctrico, es presentado en Chile" (in Spanish). Agence France-Presse. 2008-07-31. http://noticias.cl.msn.com/articulo.aspx?cp-documentid=8993757. Retrieved 2009-04-20. 
  14. ^ "Business | India's iconic electric car". TheStar.com. 2008-09-18. http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/501395. Retrieved 2009-05-04. 
  15. ^ "Celebrity green car is declared unsafe". Times Online. 2007-05-09. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article1764088.ece. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  16. ^ "G-Wiz crash test news — Electric shock". Top Gear. 2007-05-09. http://www.topgear.com/content/news/stories/1832/. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  17. ^ "Reva Takes Charge". Businessworld. 2008-04-22. http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/Automobiles/Reva-Takes-Charge/Page-3.html. 
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