[thomvee]

Originally Posted by honeybee

If you wait for the new generation Reva, you might end up paying 4L + which you want to avoid in the first place. So if you are looking for a cheap alternative, a new generation Reva is definitely not on cards.

True that!

If you are still sure about going for a Reva, please make sure you have the charging infrastructure in place (or can get it in place). If you live in an apartment building, setting up a dedicated charging port might be difficult.

Yes, thats another factor. I live on the 5th floor and parking is in the basement. I`ll have to buy quite a bit of wiring and route it through the shaft to charge the vehicle!

Being in Bangalore you should be able to access charging points and other service related to the electric car quite easily.

If the battery cost is not a worry and if you can set up the charging infrastructure I would say go for it.

Really? I asked the Mahindra showroom guy if there were any charging facilities/points where people could recharge their vehicles across Bangalore. The best he could give me was a long blank stare! Then he says: "you can bring the car to our showroom (probably 25kms off route), we have a plug point here!"

[honeybee]

I remember reading about this, please check around to see if there are any charging spots available.

Also if you have a basement parking then setting up the charging port shouldn't be a problem, the only challenge would be to get an electrician to do it for you. Or maybe the Mahindra/Reva guys can help you do that.

The Reva, as with most electric cars, includes regenerative braking. Therefore even though the range is claimed to be 80kms, in real life you may get it extended a little. Also I remember reading a review of the Reva in one of the magazines where the author remarked: "If the battery dies down, just switch off the engine and wait for a couple of minutes and then start the car. You will find enough juice to push for another kilometre or so. Now show me which petrol car does that!"

So enjoy the experience! Mind you, apart from the battery packs, you have no other expenditure on the electric car! Who knows, Chetan Maini might gift you a li-ion battery pack in future!

[prajwalkashyap]

Hi all,

I am in the same dilemma. I am thinking of picking up a used Reva for my wife. We travel thru some really heavy traffic, and even my left knee begins to give up with so much clutch work. And I drive a M800. My wife doesn't drive, but introducing her to driving an automatic, and a light one at that, like the Reva is what I am looking at. Its easier for me too!

Savings are not as much a concern as much as ease of driving. I am guessing that charging costs would work up to about Rs.500 per month, but I'll also have to set aside at least 2K each month which will add up for battery replacement costs. So not much savings there. But its super easy to drive that car in the city! And no complicated engine for servicing, no engine oils.

One question I had was, are the batteries same as the home inverter batteries?

Prajwal

[lsp]

Originally Posted by honeybee

"If the battery dies down, just switch off the engine and wait for a couple of minutes and then start the car. You will find enough juice to push for another kilometre or so. Now show me which petrol car does that!"

Well not a car but the humble 2 stroke scooters of yesteryears. Used to see so many of them tilting the scooter n then kickstrating it.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by prajwalkashyap

One question I had was, are the batteries same as the home inverter batteries?

Prajwal

They are lead-acid batteries, but whether they are similar to or same as inverter batteries, I don't know. You do have to add distilled water to these batteries once in a while, just like your car batteries.

[Bh.P]

Originally Posted by prajwalkashyap

Hi all,

I am in the same dilemma. ...

Savings are not as much a concern as much as ease of driving. I am guessing that charging costs would work up to about Rs.500 per month, but I'll also have to set aside at least 2K each month which will add up for battery replacement costs. So not much savings there. But its super easy to drive that car in the city! And no complicated engine for servicing, no engine oils.

Your requirement is ease of driving, and not running cost savings.
In that case, I guess a automatic petrol is your answer. Say an i10 or A-Star. I see a lot of i10 Autos in Bangalore these days. They would be surely more reliable than a Reva, no 80K expense once in two years for battery replacement (which nulls out half the petrol cost savings). Plus it could be sued on those occassional long drives.

And yes, they are extremely easy to drive in traffic. I drive a City auto, so can vouch for that.

[prajwalkashyap]

Originally Posted by Bh.P

Your requirement is ease of driving, and not running cost savings.
In that case, I guess a automatic petrol is your answer. Say an i10 or A-Star. I see a lot of i10 Autos in Bangalore these days. They would be surely more reliable than a Reva, no 80K expense once in two years for battery replacement (which nulls out half the petrol cost savings). Plus it could be sued on those occassional long drives.

And yes, they are extremely easy to drive in traffic. I drive a City auto, so can vouch for that.

I did consider the Auto-geared cars. But when I said that the cost is not "as much concern", I am not throwing the running costs number out of the window entirely. I am spending 5K on petrol every month (at the rate of 16kmpl) and I do intend to bring that number down, even if its just a bit. 5K a month is 60K a year, which is a lot of money (and a lot of smoke too) for mundane commute between home-office-home that works up to 40kms up and down. If I can bring that number down to half, I am happy. Plus I can use the saved up money for weekend rides/drives which can be lots more enjoyable.

Prajwal

[guptad42]

It doesn't solve your problem right now, but GM/Chevy has announced electric version of the Spark (the current Beat in India) to be sold in the US from mid-2012. Planned as an electric mini-car for city commutes.
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dl...111019953/1429

Also coming to Asian markets:
Design News - Captain Hybrid - GM to Build First All-Electric Car Since EV1

[mayankk]

you should take a look at this, rather than hear out our opinions, which are mostly based on hearsay.
i have only ever sat in one, at the expo, never driven, no long term experience, as it seems most of the posters.
he does:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...e-traffic.html

The vintage youre looking for will belong to roundabout the same period as that thread.

[BusKarro]

Isnt there a metro in B'Lore. From personal experience, in Kolkata, no sooner than that happens, share autos come up at stations (going to non serviced areas). Maybe that could happen in B'Lore too? Else an auto/bus from the nearest point the metro goes/comes? Until we agree what is best?

[honeybee]

GM was looking to tie up with Reva for the electric car technology, I guess, but when Mahindra bought a stake in Reva, the deal obviously fell through.

The Reva has been going through a lot of revisions and improvements, even when Mahindra hadn't bought a stake in it. The features of remotely switching on the AC, or ventilated seats go to show the manufacturer is serious about the customer satisfaction.

The ABS plastic body panels are virtually dent-free, as most dents can be fixed by hand. They are difficult to scratch and therefore eliminate the need for painting them for small chips and scratches. Overall the maintenance of the Reva should be significantly lesser than a comparable petrol or diesel vehicle (though the economies might differ).

Since it's tiny in size and easy to drive around, it makes for an ideal city car. The back seat could be used for storing luggage or shopping and two people could travel the city in it.

However, if you have the typical image of a car in your mind when you go for a Reva, you may be disappointed. So one must understand what the Reva is made for and decide on buying it or not. If you were to compare the range, for e.g. the Reva can never overcome the range limitation. A tankfull of petrol for an M800 may see you travel some 600k, while the Reva even with its Li-ion battery pack may only provide about 150kms or so (estimate). But the quiet and smooth ride that the Reva offers can never be matched by a petrol car.

And for those of you who dare, you could go through the battery pack and replace the faulty ones yourself if you could. A new battery costs around 4-5k. With repairs and replacements of single batteries in the pack, you could keep the maintenance costs down as well. Of course you would lose your warranty, but so what: Instead of spending 70k to replace the whole battery pack, you could replace just one faulty battery for 5k and enjoy another two years of quiet drive.

The government's lack of support is really surprising. If the Reva were exempted from the sales tax and even toll, it would make a good case for many of the daily commuters. The other killer is the heavy loadshedding going on in most of the state most of the times. This year we have had about a couple of months or more where power was available most of the day.

[thomvee]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

I am still trying to come up to grips that you 'actually' want to buy Reva. Doesn't it look like a car made at home by 'waste plastic materials'. I think the idea of getting a home grown electric vehicle was good but the final product is very very impractical.

Imagine your wife driving this and thinking what people will think of her choice. There only one question that pops to my mind when I see somebody driving a Reva: "How on earth would this person have convinced himself to buy this?" To me, it really is an 'el cheapo' product.

I have stated my reasons why I was considering buying the vehicle and I think its quite cear. If you were in my wife's position you would see the sense too. It is me who worries about her daily safety and feels helpless on hearing about the horror stories of catching 4 buses to and 4 back from work. Sometimes on packed buses with leery men who cant quite behave! Its quite different being in your comfortable shoes and passing judgement at someone just because he considers purchasing the smallest, cutest and the country's only electric car so that a nightmare can be avoided.

Imagine my wife driving this and thinking what people will think of her?!! This is not a matter of status! I`d be proud that she has taken to driving by herself and is more in control of her circumstances. To hell with what other people think! If the Reva was about 2 Lakh, i`d have bought this car two weeks back without further thought!

[honeybee]

Am checking the running costs displayed on the Reva website (Mahindra Reva).

Incidentally with approx 50kms every day my running and my car's FE match the projections more or less. I am indeed spending to the tune of Rs. 6k on fuel every month. If I have to spend just Rs. 500 on the Reva's charging, I save a whopping 66k per year, or almost enough to replace the battery pack.

Add to that the expenses on periodic servicing such as oil and filters, and that should be another 5-6k saved. Total savings per year Rs. 70k. After three years, even if the battery pack is replaced, I have saved 1L.

Battery pack price is 80k, and the initial warranty is for three years or 36k whichever is earlier.

If only the electricity were guaranteed, I would seriously think of buying it.

[prajwalkashyap]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Am checking the running costs displayed on the Reva website (Mahindra Reva).

Incidentally with approx 50kms every day my running and my car's FE match the projections more or less. I am indeed spending to the tune of Rs. 6k on fuel every month. If I have to spend just Rs. 500 on the Reva's charging, I save a whopping 66k per year, or almost enough to replace the battery pack.

Add to that the expenses on periodic servicing such as oil and filters, and that should be another 5-6k saved. Total savings per year Rs. 70k. After three years, even if the battery pack is replaced, I have saved 1L.

Battery pack price is 80k, and the initial warranty is for three years or 36k whichever is earlier.

If only the electricity were guaranteed, I would seriously think of buying it.

My thought process is exactly the same as this. I couldn't care less of what others "think" of me or my wife driving the car. If I can convert/build an electric car in my garage, I'd love to drive that around and not bother about what other's think. This is even better than that. For me, its definitely an "upgrade" in my lifestyle.

Most of the charging will be done during nights when load-shedding/powercuts are least. Those nights when there are powercuts, and charging was incomplete, we can use the primary car anyway.

I am still trying to find out if the batteries are the same as the home inverter types and how much would they "really" cost if I get all of them changed myself from a local battery guy.

Prajwal

[honeybee]

I think they aren't the same as the 'inverter' batteries, but they should be similar to ordinary car batteries. The Reva essentially has a set of eight batteries connected together so that all the batteries are charged together and discharged together.

Perhaps you could send a PM to one of the Reva owners on the forum and ask them to post photos of the battery packs, or approach the Reva people and ask them directly about it.