[vinya_jag]

Originally Posted by thomvee

Thanks all for your input. None of you seem enthused by my idea of going the used car route. I did consider the Nano option but I did read a few reports where the mileage has been very variable and as low as 11 KmpL. I just didnt want to end up with another fuel guzzler as I already own one . Besides, even though the nano is supposed to be a tiny car, its not that tiny at all! With no gears to manipulate in the Reva plus its (really) tiny size it would be ideal for my wife, who is not a confident driver yet.

The way I saw it:
Figo (mileage =10 kmpl @ 74 rupees per litre) = 7.4 Rupees/km x 45 km each day x 20 days per month = 6660.

Nano (mileage = 15 kmpl @ 74 rupees per litre) = 5 Rupees/km x 45 km each day x 20 days per month = 4500.

Reva (mileage = approx 60 kmp full charge (worst case) = 9 units @ 5 rupees max = 45 rupees) = 75 paise/km x 45 km each day x 20 days per month = 675!

Thats why I thought, even getting a battery change at 60,000 rupees would be justifiable.
Of course the cost of spares and maintenance on a used Reva is something I didnt have an Idea about and hence my query.

I`ve also Read about the Reva NXR/NXG coming out within the next 6 months. I asked the Mahindra dealers what the specs with regard to mileage etc would be but they wouldn't part with any information :(

I guess you cannot calculate every penny. You never know what life can throw at you.

I would suggest that your wife to take the Figo to her office. Yes, it might get a little getting used to, but believe me, its a day or two before she will get used to the car.

And it saves on parking space, saves you a 1.5 lakhs on the car + battery pack. You could still drive the Figo for atleast 2 years with all that money.
And then she might even change the job and you will be left with a new problem to solve

Any cash in hand is always good. You never know when it will come in handy.
I was in a similar situation last yer, bought the Petrol Figo, saved a lot over the diesel one, [Everyone says that we are going to lose money over a few years with the running we do], and then we closed the loan in no time, and now are after an aptment. [Had it been the extra 1.5L car loan still to pay, we probably would have delayed the house buying decision by a few months and probably have lost a lot more]

And I did persuade my wife to take the Figo to the office, and she hesitated the first two days, but now, she loves every bit of it.

[RGK]

Originally Posted by vinya_jag

I guess you cannot calculate every penny. You never know what life can throw at you.

I would suggest that your wife to take the Figo to her office. Yes, it might get a little getting used to, but believe me, its a day or two before she will get used to the car.

And it saves on parking space, saves you a 1.5 lakhs on the car + battery pack. You could still drive the Figo for atleast 2 years with all that money.
And then she might even change the job and you will be left with a new problem to solve

Good idea vinya. The idea is much more practical. Instead of spending in a new car, the existing vehicle can be used. Figo is a much better car (than the present choices). Metro is always going to expand which may help her and may bring down traffic in the coming years.

[drmohitg]

But what does the OP drive in that case if his wife uses the Figo?

I think if you are convinced about REVA you should go for it. Else you can buy her a used petrol car. You will get many almost new Nano's for less then a Lac. Or a Maruti 800. Why not give that idea a shot? As far as getting used to driving a car is concerned, I can assure you that if your wife can get used to driving a Reva she will very easily get used to driving anyother hatchback. Its just a psychological fear we all possess before we start driving. IMHO you should consider the Nano a little more seriously. The TCO over the years will not come out very much higher and it also gives you the advantage of running for a longer time as compared to the Reva's limited running ability. That should be your biggest worry according to me. You already say that she needs to travel a distance of 45 kms daily. With bangalore's horrible traffic which is only going to increase further north, are you sure if she will not run out of battery charge while driving back from work? Or she will have to find a charging point at her workplace which again might prove to be both frustrating and inconvenient in the long run. I would not want myself ( leave alone a woman) to be driving in a car during the evening rush hours not knowing how long before the car dies down. Do you really want that headache? On the other hand a used second hand Nano/800/Alto will be a much more satisfying experience. Do give this a hard long thought before putting your hard earned money on it.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by 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?

Metro launched in Bangalore yesterday. But only a small 7km stretch is operational. It will take another 5-6 years for all the currently proposed phases to finish.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

...You already say that she needs to travel a distance of 45 kms daily. With bangalore's horrible traffic which is only going to increase further north, are you sure if she will not run out of battery charge while driving back from work...

I think this is an important point to consider. If the reva is expected to give 60km on a full charge, 45km per day in Bangalore traffic may be a small risk. You never know when you'll encounter some major jam or have to take a detour that takes an additional few km.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

You never know when you'll encounter some major jam or have to take a detour that takes an additional few km.

If your daily drive is around 40kms both ways, a detour is not likely to add half that distance to your route. Also the Reva doesn't consume any battery when at standstill (except if accessories such as AC or the music system are being used), unlike a petrol/diesel car with the engine running. So with all the accessories off, unless you have the throttle depressed and the drive selector switch set to one of the forward or backward modes, the battery is not being used.

So even if the Reva spends half the time of her commute waiting at traffic signals or other jams, she won't be losing battery in those periods. Perfect example of the power being used only for the actual distance covered and not for the time too.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by thomvee

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!

I was in a similar dilemma a few months back...Was planning get my wife her first car. Considered all the usual suspects ( read hatch with auto box), before zeroing in on Reva. What made the decision easier was a) Hardly needs any skills other than steering balance, as there is little that could go wrong with an electric motor coupled to cvt . Alleviates the need for getting a 'trainer -driver' for the first few weeks/Months- as it was almost like driving a video Game b) Unbeatable cost of ownership ( think about it - No Engine means , no oil change or filters to be replaced ) c) With about 500 charge cycle before the Lead Acid Batteries goes bust; and average of 3 charges a week, we would have saved more than enough to buy another battery pack.
Well, she has been driving the car for last 2 months. Completely feel it was the right car for short office commutes and solo trips to Grocery shops

[ElectraTspark]

Hi,

There are two things to keep in mind while buying a pre-owned Reva. Quite a few Revas enjoyed road tax exemption for 5 years.You will have to ensure that the current owner has paid or is willing to pay the road tax amount before the sale.

Secondly, only Revi's motor is AC drive while the earlier ones have a DC motor. While the mileage per charge remains same, the latter has less torque.

This is a good time to go for a new Reva i. More so because of the 70K subsidy by MNRE and an add 25K discount by Mahindra. I can email the brochure and the test drive@door step details.

Below is their quote for all 3 models in Bangalore.

Sl Particulars & Model STD (AR) AC (ARA) CLASSE (ARAD) A Ex-works price 355953 402857 439271 B MNRE Subsidy provided -71191 -80571 -87854 C Ex-works price post Subsidy 284762 322286 351417 D VAT @ 5% 14238 16114 17571 E Ex Showroom Price 299001 338400 368988 F Road Tax @4.44% of (C+D) 13276 15025 16383 G Handling Charges 1500 1500 1500 H Comprehensive Insurance 6832 7607 8208 1 On Road Price 320608 362532 395079 Road Tax & Insurance payable as per actuals.


6 year ownership comparison:

Reva pays for itself over 6 years!

Reva [FONT=&quot]i[/FONT]

Conventional Cars

Electricity Cost per unit

Rs. 5

-

Petrol Cost per liter

-

Rs.74

Units consumed per charge

9

Mileage

80km per charge

14 km per liter

Total cost per month

Rs. 500

Rs. 5285

Total cost per year

Rs. 6000

Rs. 63,428

Total cost for 6 years (A)

Rs. 36,000

Rs. 3,80,571

Service and maintenance cost over 6 years (B)

~ Rs. 21,000

~ Rs. 75,000

Battery Replacement (C)

Rs. 75,000

NIL

Total cost in 6 years (A + B+C)

Rs. 1,32,000

Rs. 4,55,571

Total Savings = Rs. 3,23,571

Assumptions:
[FONT=Symbol]· [/FONT]Monthly usage is 1000 kms.
[FONT=Symbol]· [/FONT]Electricity charges starts from Rs. 3.5
[FONT=Symbol]· [/FONT]Petrol prices in Bangalore is Rs. 75

As against petrol car, Reva saves you Rs. 61,884 a year.

Cost Saving
Reva
Conventional Cars
Fuel (Petrol) cost (Rs./ltr)
n.a.
75
Electricity Cost (Rs./Unit)
5
n.a.
Total Running Cost (Rs. / month)
500
5357**
Maintenance cost (Rs./month)
200
500
Operating Cost (Rs./annum) (Running + maintenance)
700
5857
Total operating Cost (Rs./annum)
8,400
70,284
Cost saving from Reva (Rs./annum) 61,884

** Assuming that a car travels 1000 kms per month. And the average fuel economy achieved under city driving conditions is 14km/liter, with average maintenance.


IICICI Bank Loan Details

[honeybee]

My workings return a slightly higher period to recover the entire cost. My petrol FE figure is around 13kmpl and the price around Rs. 70. For the Reva my range is estimated at 70km. Both vehicles are run without AC. Price for electricity is assumed to be Rs. 5 per unit.

With a monthly running of 1000kms, the Reva will need about 15 recharges (1000/70 rounded off to the highest integer). At 9 units per recharge and Rs. 5 per unit, this works out to Rs. 675. This translates into Rs. 8100 per year.

With the battery pack expected to last about three years (at least first three years it's under warranty) and replacement costing Rs. 80000, after three years, you will have spent (8100*3) + 80,000 = Rs. 1,04,300/-

For the petrol car, the cost of petrol per month works out to Rs. 5385/-, which is Rs. 64620/- per year. Add to that engine oil change (carried out after 10k, or approximately once a year) of Rs. 1200/- (includes semi synthetic oil, filter and labour) and the annual cost runs up to Rs. 65820/-

Running costs for the three years for the petrol car will work out to Rs. 1,97,460/- Coolant change would probably not be done in the first three years, but if you want you can factor in those costs too. Add another Rs. 4k for the battery replacement (assuming the original battery lasts for three years), and you are looking at slightly more than 2L spent over three years.

This means in three years, you save about 1L on running an electric car. To recover the whole cost of approximately 4L, you would have to keep the car for around five years, or hope your battery packs last an extra year or two.

I am assuming other maintenance costs, if there are, are common and equal (such as tyre changes which will be necessary for both). Since in three years the running will be 36k, it does not warrant any tyre changes or brake pad changes or suspension work or belts.

So the Reva still works out to be cheaper, though it won't pay itself back over the three year period.

[tejus.s]

Well, I'm a person who gets high by sniffing petrol! But, the facts that a Reva is user-friendly and commuter friendly cannot be denied.

As per the charging point dilemma, I guess all major tech parks have dedicated points for such electric vehicles and even have their own dedicated parking space, which sometimes remains vacant!

Working out the costs might be a bit of a pain, as many here are suggesting, but since it's for your wife, I'd say go ahead. Believe me, I commute 50km in peak hours here on my bike and more often than not think that such a car makes good sense. Especially considering that you've a Figo for your weekend hauls

[speedmiester]

For used Reva, there is an option of leasing the batteries from the company instead of buying them. It should be around 2K per month for the lease plan along with warranty from the manufacturer.

[prajwalkashyap]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

For used Reva, there is an option of leasing the batteries from the company instead of buying them. It should be around 2K per month for the lease plan along with warranty from the manufacturer.

Leasing the batteries? How does that work out better? There must be a catch to it.

Prajwal

[honeybee]

I think it must be some arrangement where you pay a fixed monthly charge to Reva as some kind of 'rent' for using the battery pack. If the battery pack goes bad, Reva would replace it without any extra charge to you. Whatever happens to the battery pack, you keep paying 2k (or whatever is the charge) per month to Reva.

If the pack lasts you three years, the amount (based on 2k per month) works out to Rs. 72k, which is approximately the same as if you didn't take the leasing option.

[prajwalkashyap]

In one of the older posts, there was a question if whether the batteries can be replaced by ourselves, in which case, it might work out cheaper than 80K also. That is of course, considering that the replacement is a simple procedure. Can they be replaced easily?

Prajwal

[honeybee]

I don't know if they can be replaced easily, but I do remember browsing through a thread on owning a Reva by a member "MikeBoxwell' (sp?) from the UK. He mentions that the Reva UK forum discusses ways of replacing a single battery out of the pack yourself.

[bigautobuff]

I would not compare a petrol car with an electric one. The Nano is a more cost effective and spacious car which is priced at 1/3 of the price of the Reva. If carbon footprint is what you're worried about then the Tata Nano is compliant with all environmental norms. i agree with Abhi_automobile. I'd stay away from the Reva and pick the Nano because it's definitely a safer, more convenient car with much better space and features.