[Amartya]

I completely agree that the discussion should be constructive. Well, since I need to find out more about the technical specifications of the NXR, I have to still pose a question about the looks.

Does an electric car have to try hard to "look" unlike anything else on the road? Why can it not be like the Indica vista EV (as in completely standard looks with electric power)?

[GreenmachinE]

The lack of flair is due to it being a product of DC design house. The DC signatures are all over the place - angular lines, bold logo, small glass area etc.

It does look way better then the out going model. It you be a nice looking car if they polish of all the DC rough edges.

But Mahindra is going to be of little help to Reva in design front considering their recent eyesores - Xylo, Gio, etc.

If I were Anand Mahindra or Pawan Goienka ( the sad reality is I am not) , the dopey lady who currently in charge of industrial design will be sacked and replaced with some sober person.

[Gooney]

A few pointers from my side:

The old Reva used Lead acetate battery packs. The NXG uses Li-ion. This is a huge advancement in terms of battery efficiency.

India is not the target market for Reva, as yet. It is sold as a Neighborhood electric vehicle in European markets. That is where the Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) gets its revenue from. Hence the Reva was/is still priced so high here. In India we are yet to develop infrastructure for electric vehicles to become more practical. And of course the government has to wake up.

[ZeroThoughts]

I am posting the email I received from Reva regarding the new car launches.

Dear Sir,
We Highly appreciate your interest in REVA we are very pleased to inform you that we have showcased the REVA NXR at Frankfurt auto show on 16th Sept 2009, REVA NXR is a new stylish model which can seat four adults comfortably.


Solar panel is still under testing which is expected in next FY
Please click on the following link to view the new model http://revaglobal.com/SeeIT.aspx?

REVA NXR is available in 2 models currently.

• REVA NXR Intercity with Lithium Ion Phosphate battery pack, which delivers, on a full charge, a range of 160 km (100 miles) and a top speed of 104 kph (65 mph)
• REVA NXR City with Lead Acid battery pack, which delivers, on a full charge, a range of 80 km (50 miles) and a top speed of 80 kph (50 mph)

REVA NXR is scheduled to be produced from early 2011, kindly visit www.revaglobal.com for more information on the REVA NXR.

REVA NXG is a two door sporty car which delivers a range of 200 km on a single charge and top speed of 130 kph it will be launched in 2012.

Pricing in India will be announced in 2011. Details regarding availability of test drive cars at various locations in India will also be given shortly.
We will ensure that the information regarding our new cars is available to you on priority basis. Meanwhile, please visit our website to be posted on all updates.

[ajman28]

Originally Posted by GreenmachinE

But Mahindra is going to be of little help to Reva in design front considering their recent eyesores - Xylo, Gio, etc.

I feel M&M will be a lot of help for REVA on the legal/tax front. They should be able to push for better tax structure for the EV's. I remember reading somewhere that TATA too is looking around for EV's. This is good news as we could see more of these vehicles on the road if the taxation part is set right for the EV's.

Can someone explain the benefit of Li-Ion battery & Lead Acid battery with respect to the EV's. How expensive are they and what distance can we look at on a single charge?

[Gooney]

Originally Posted by ajman28

I feel M&M will be a lot of help for REVA on the legal/tax front. They should be able to push for better tax structure for the EV's.

I don't know how M&M coming in the picture will help RECC push for government tax incentives. The entire Indian automotive industry needs to coax the government for policy changes. But yes, RECC does get access to M&M's supply chain and after sales service.

Originally Posted by ajman28

Can someone explain the benefit of Li-Ion battery & Lead Acid battery with respect to the EV's. How expensive are they and what distance can we look at on a single charge?

Ok from the top of my head (I do not have necessary technical know-how) - Lead acetate batteries are heavier and less efficient. The longevity is lesser. The ones you see in your car and inverter. Li-ion on the other hand are lighter and much more efficient but they cost a lot more than lead batteries. You see these in your cell phones and laptops. The difference in the chemistry and technology can be explained by someone who knows it better

[ZeroThoughts]

Originally Posted by ajman28

Can someone explain the benefit of Li-Ion battery & Lead Acid battery with respect to the EV's. How expensive are they and what distance can we look at on a single charge?

Lead Acid battery technology is well known, tried and trusted technology regarding it's charging cycles, charging current requirements, battery equalization requirement and most importantly deep discharge prevention and management.
It is still used in Submarines.

Lithium Ion technology is new and under testing conditions for such applications. Mainly it is the charging cycle, charging rate, equalization & heat management issues that are being tested and verified.

Between the two, Lead Acid will be more heavier & voluminous for the same capacity. Also it takes longer to charge and equalize. Lithium Ion charges faster and also offers a 'Fast Charge' option. For the same weight/ volume one will get better capacity (= better range) or for same capacity will get lighter/less voluminous battery pack (= better acceleration/range)

There are issues with both types regarding usage in cars. Lead Acid batteries get hot and give off inflammable fumes during charging, specially equalization. Lithium Ion get very hot and can actually catch fire & explode if charging is not done in a controlled manner.

Presently, Lithium Ion is about 5-6 times more expensive as compared to lead acid, but then it's serviceable life is also estimated to be higher than Lead Acid.

Driving distance per charge in a fully electric vehicle is dependent on battery type, size of battery pack, motor capacity, Control Module for acceleration, and all the other accessories that are used while driving.

Take a look at 'Tesla Roadster' and Reva i, and you will get a very good picture.

[sarmarishi]

I have seen the new reva in Koramangala a lot of time. It comes to Ceat shoppe for wheel allignment. This is also the same place I take my car too. On my last vist, the NXR was also there and i even got to take a look inside. It was not the final version though. It looked comfortable enough for 4 people and was just a little smaller than a 800

[hemanth.anand]

Spotted the reva nxr testing on Hosur road near biocon on sept 21st.
sorry for the blurred picture as my company cab was at a high speed.

looked really good.

[Digital Vampire]

I've seen the Reva NXR up close many times and sat inside one since my company is doing various regulatory tests for it. Sorry, no pictures since it would be against company norms. The looks are not that bad (again subjective) but the dash console is too good. Fully digital and futuristic.

[hemanth.anand]

Saw the NXR in my office campus today. No photography allowed in side our office though.

It was an European version LHD. It is the same car that i had spotted a few days ago on the highway...I have posted above.

It was neatly finished and the gaps were small and consistent.
but the plastic quality on the interiors were not upto the mark...for the European market its pretty bad.

The rear legspace seemed pretty good even for adults. though getting in would be difficult we felt.

the cluster was very impressive and informative mainly consisting of remaining distance,charge,speed, and the gear indicator (Well in this case R,N,D)
the gear selector was a big horizontal knob at the centre of the car.

It had projection headlamps, good bottle holders on the door, a heavy door with two steps. the door closed pretty much automatically.

One more interesting thing was solar panels on the roof. don't know if this will be in production cars.

the bootspace was good enough for two decently big shopping bags.

Eager to see the indian version and the pricing this time around.

[airbender]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

One more interesting thing was solar panels on the roof. don't know if this will be in production cars.

That's promising. Even Tata indica was spoted with roof solar panels. I hope atleast one of these two will make it into the production version.

[vette8991]

Huge change(in a good way) compared to the older version, looks good(to me at least), should make a good eco minded commuter/bachelor/small family car if priced right!

[Blr_RK]

There is a full page Ad in today's Deccan Herald, Bangalore about Mahindra Reva. The Ad says, now Reva is available at select Mahindra showrooms.

Is this a new partnership, or has Mahindra taken over Reva?

[aman9393]

@Blr_rk
Yes Mahindra has taken over Reva. There is also a thread on that here.