[somebodystopme]

Zephyr is a Dance Teaching Company. Must be owned by some playboy dance instructor

And its the Roof thats white not the hood.

[normally_crazy]

Just caught a SUPER MONEY SAVER Reva on Friday

[phamilyman]

has reva been copied from somewhere?
Water-fuel car unveiled in Japan | Video | Reuters.com is similar!

[GTO - Touring]

Why are they wasting their energy towing it? They could have just lifted it and put it in the glove box .

BTW that Tata bus behind looks like it wants to eat the Reva up. It is menacingly close!!

[eclectix 1st]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

has reva been copied from somewhere?
Water-fuel car unveiled in Japan | Video | Reuters.com is similar!

It is Reva (The Reva logo is clearly visible on the steering wheel). I saw the clip on NHK on friday.

Looks like they are using the reva body, but only the batteries are replaced by water.
cheers:

[SirAlec]

here is their site

GENEPAX CO.,LTD

[shankar.balan]

YESSIR!!
REVA Impressions:
General:
I test drove a Reva on Saturday - am seriously considering buying one for my Wife in lieu of our Swift.
Im 6.2 feet tall - no trouble with legroom etc for city use.
The selector knob for Neutral/Drive/ Reverse/ Boost etc is very convenient.
It is very easy to use and exactly like a golf cart - highly enjoyable in city.
Easy to reverse and surprisingly powerful even reversing up an incline or going forward up an incline. With Boost on, it can go pretty quick. And it is so much easier than a conventional geared vehicle to drive in Bangalore's bumper to bumper crawl!
Hard suspension like the old Maruti 800 - so its ok for our roads in general - but if you go into a big pothole you will feel the jarring thud.
Tried sticking the Golf bag into the car but in the rear seats it simply didnt fit. However it fits perfectly with the front seat pushed back so the car can be used for the Golf Run.
With the rear seat down my dog can lie down quietly in the back. Unless one has very small children, they wont be comfortable if asked to sit in the back though.
If me and my wife are driving it, there will be no problem with shoulder room but if me and my dad are sitting in it, there will be difficulty in steering because two well built people will find it a squeeze.
This car is according to me, a worthwhile buy for a lady driver/ person who doesnt like geared vehicles. Indeed, I would happily use it to go up and down for local running around, even to office and maybe to the golfcourse and back. The best thing I like is the Non Polluting - Environmentally friendly aspect. Amazing.
Performance:
The range is 80 km depending on how you drive and how much you use Power Boost. There are 8 rechargeable batteries mounted under the seats, adding to the low CG. The owner cant open the batteries and should not. Only to be checked by the service people. The batteries typically last for about 1200 cycles of charge - read about 3 years of normal use. One needs to charge the car perhaps once every 2 days. Takes 8 hours to attain full charge. It consumes only 8 units of power for one charge - you charge it with a 15 amp socket and it works like a cell phone. For 8 units, I guess it will cost about 45 Rs to charge it once and if you drive 80 km on that, then the effective cost per KM comes to 1.8 Rs per KM!! Probably cheaper than any other powered personal transportation in the world!
The earlier Reva's came with DC Motors and now they are all powered with an AC Motor. This is a good improvement. Plus the Brakes are regenerative so its best to pump lightly once before braking.
With its fibre glass / FRP body one is safe from Corrosion related troubles.
Low centre of gravity means it is not that easy to topple over unless you try some crazy stunts.
One puts distilled water into the batteries around once a month or so.
The cost of servicing this car - normal service including consumables like transmission oil and so on comes to about 1500 to 2000 each time and one needs to typically service it twice a year.
The only spec difference between the Klasse and the UK Spec Reva is that the UK Spec reva comes with only 4 wheels (no spare tyre). It also has a little luggage basket inside the bonnet, where the spare tyre would sit in the Indian Spec. Plus it has climate control seats.
However one can request customisation and get the climate control seats also if one wants, though I think it is a waste for Indian conditions.
On Road Costs:
Basic:The cost of the car he said was 3.57 for the basic model Reva i which has just a blower etc
Mid Range:
the medium range Reva i model with AC costs 3.98
Top End:
the Top end version Reva i Klasse with AC, Defogger and some other stuff costs 4.28 but they have an ICICI Scheme for 407555 plus 12735 for a lovely set of alloy wheels!
All these ride on 13 inch wheels with 145 size radial tyres.- A bit thin, but adequate.
No Power steering on any of the models and not required for such a small car.
Financing etc:
Down payment 80 grand
EMI 7350 for 5 years.
Toys etc:
At an additional cost of 25000 Rs, they give you the choice of 2000 colour shades, which they can customise your car for you with! This is an amazing facility, but 25000 is a good deal of money. Depends on whether it is worthwhile to the individual concerned.
Cost vs Benefit:
But, if one buys it on the ICICI Scheme and pays 407555 plus 12735 for alloys and another 25000 for the custom paint, the car will cost as much as a Swift LXi on Road - about 4.45 lacs!
This cost is despite the Karnataka Govt having given it a Road Tax Holiday for 5 years from the date of registration!
Inferences:
However, personally I feel this is a great second car for the city - groceries shopping, office commute and general runabout.
For anyone who already has a primary vehicle for long distances and to transport family etc, the Reva is certainly a better option to buy than perhaps even a Swift or Santro or Alto or the typical "second" cars. It makes a lot of sense.
My personal choice would be the KLASSE - top end version!
I wish, however the Government would waive all duties and taxes and excise on these alternate fuel vehicles and help us to save our own environment - I am very sure there will be lots of takers for the Reva if it were less expensive.
New Reva Convertible - ZEPHYR:- Under Testing:
I saw the new Reva "ZEPHYR" which is under testing by Mr Chetan Maini - they will be running it for 100000 kms I am told - this has Fat 195 size tyres on 14 inch alloys. Purple Blue in colour with a Silver Grey Roof - this is a convertible top. Beautiful looking vehicle. It runs on Lithium Ion Batteries which are being tested.
Trouble is, that while this really looks great and is a "SMART CAR" lookalike in many ways, the price is likely to be prohibitive. The man told me that the batteries themselves cost 4 lacs, so when this version comes out, it is likely to cost as much as 12 lacs or so! I sincerely hope it has a more reasonable price tag because otherwise it will simply die.
Conclusions/ Suggestions:
Well, for one, I am considering this car Reva Klasse and I would urge everyone to atleast check it out once by driving it and then decide if it is suitable or not for their needs.
Certainly anyone considering a second vehicle for their family/ house, would do well to check this out.
PICTURES:
1. The Silver Grey Roof and Purple Combo car is the new Zephyr - Obviously I loved that best!
2. The White one parked inside the gate is the one I drove - the Reva Klasse -
3. The Plain White one parked on the road is the old Reva
4. The White one on the road with Decals on the side is the old Reva Klasse.

Originally Posted by serious_maniac

Well somebody pointed out that the Reva needs a facelift.

Spotted this Reva at the showroom / Office on Lavelle Road. Looks very nice (much better in person than in these pics). Don'd know if it is customized or a standard model. "Zephyr" was mentioned at the back.

The color of the car was two-tone (Grey - blue) with a white hood and looked nice with Merc like (of course smaller) oval headlamps. The car has been extended a bit (notice the thick C-pillar), back glass shortened and looks nice. Check the pics:

Attachment 21097
Attachment 21098

I hope Maini can come with models like these at a lower price point and maybe they will enter into two-three digit sales territory per month.

~maniac

[Stratos]

I personally believe that the problem with the Reva has been the fact that it is inconvenient to a common man. How many of us, other the ones who live in bunglows and have their own parking garage, have a big electric socket to charge the car. I don't think that charging the car using an extension cord hung atop 3-4 story building is logical.

Secondly, it has always been a not so good looking, costly, little car. As F50 mentioned the battery is not powerful enough to do the regular chores that need to be done while driving. The hybrids win over the only-electric city car in this case as they charge themselves while being driven on the internal combustion engine.

At 2.49 lacs too, the Reva might be out of reach of the basic man now that every body is waiting for the Nano to hit the road. Maini have to try something else.

[GTO]

Pretty comprehensive post on the Reva there, Shankar. I agree with you on the fact that the Reva is probably a good option for a lady driver, who wants the "easiest" drive around. Whats not correct with the Reva is the price. Simply put, for the same money, you could get substantially more car from other manufacturers. Also consider that the battery pack costs 60+ grand and needs a replacement every 2 - 4 years. Plus, you have to pay back some amount in tax once the Reva is 5 years old.

If your wife's running is not too high, why not consider an automatic Santro?

[shankar.balan]

Thank you GTO!
Yes, it is a lovely option for a lady driver. My wife will need to drive 35 km per day if she drives herself up and down. For this, the Reva would make good sense, since we only need to charge it once for every 2 days of usage.

It does appear silly to pay 4.42lac for the tiny little Reva on Road when one can get the I 10 or Swift lower end or even an Indica Turbo DLG V2 Dicor for around the same prices! And substantially more car is correct, but to what end?

My wife has the Swift but NEVER drives it because she is completely uncomfortable with the bad traffic of Bangalore and the lack of lane discipline. She is not very comfortable with driving per se. So for her, an Auto Transmission would be nice but there will be the attendant bumps and scratches which normally come with a bigger car.

There is the environment friendly aspect of the Reva which we both like very much, coupled with the fact that we dont really need 2 cars at our home since she takes the office bus to work and I drive my Scorp.

This is also why we dont want to buy an Automatic Transmisson Petrol car - we also dont need the size of a Santro/ Zen etc etc for normal daily use.

Additionally, if we get ourselves a Reva, then atleast my wife will actually hop into the car by herself and buzz around more - she can even propel herself to the golf course/driving range, take the dogs (one at a time) to the vet, pick up any sudden requirements of groceries etc and go wherever else she wishes to go, without having to wait for me to be around to drive her, or walk, or get a day driver for her Swift, or having to trust to the tender mercies of the wicked auto drivers that abound hereabouts.

The freedom she will experience with a vehicle as easy to handle as the Reva will completely transform her life! Knowing myself and my propensity for new vehicular toys, however, I probably will end up having as much fun fiddling with the Reva as a little toy golf buggy! Best of all, we do our little bit for the environment by reducing pollution to the extent of one car! May not be much, but atleast we will be trying to help save the planet!

Now for a couple of facts:
Around 90% of the components of the Reva are Indian - only 10% are imported. However, the duties etc on these 10% of the parts make up 60% of the total car cost! If the government were to reduce the duties, excise etc, there would be a substantial reduction in price!

Then the matter of the Battery - there are 8 batteries. These last 1200 cycles - typically 3 years - but there are people in Bangalore, including my next door neighbour whose Reva Batteries lasted him 4 years - the cost of replacement of batteries is 60,000/- - taken over 4 years it works out to only 1250 per month! Worth it, in my opinion!

I feel with the increasing fuel prices, finite availability of non renewable energy resources like fossil fuels, global warming and other tangible environmental concerns, I would be happy to embrace new alternative technology like that of the Reva, given our particular family circumstances and needs.

Indeed, even in the case of my Scorpio, once the new Mhawk Hybrid comes, I would sincerely like to consider that, provided of course it is within my affordability bracket!

Originally Posted by GTO

Pretty comprehensive post on the Reva there, Shankar. I agree with you on the fact that the Reva is probably a good option for a lady driver, who wants the "easiest" drive around. Whats not correct with the Reva is the price. Simply put, for the same money, you could get substantially more car from other manufacturers. Also consider that the battery pack costs 60+ grand and needs a replacement every 2 - 4 years. Plus, you have to pay back some amount in tax once the Reva is 5 years old.

If your wife's running is not too high, why not consider an automatic Santro?

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

I would sincerely like to consider that, provided of course it is within my affordability bracket!

Very well done review, Shankar!
However, you've summed it up yourself in that last line of your post!

That applies to perhaps 90% of the potential Reva buyers.
The price and the costs seem absurd to most of us currently!
Noble thoughts of being green and ecofriendly start flowing only after the cheque book has balanced out well!

[condor]

Path_Finder : The price and the costs seem absurd to most of us currently!

And the blue one is aptly named - Zephyr. As detailed in Shankar's review, it's not going to blow you away !

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Just caught a SUPER MONEY SAVER Reva on Friday

Attachment 21203

This picture made my day

Btw, I agree we need to focus on environment (I saw 'The Inconvenient Truth' and request everyone to see it)

But, does anyone have any idea of how much electricity the battery consumes per charge or number of units consumed per km?

Sometimes, there are things that are more than that meets the eye. I read a business week article (I'll try and dig it out) where the report concluded that the hybrid cars pollute more than regular cars! Thats because of the components that go into the battery, and the cost of disposing the batteries after it is used. The electricity we use comes from conventional sources too (for e.g. coal) - If we end up burning more coal elsewhere and effectively release more CO2 to commute the same distance as compared to CO2 released by burning petrol / diesel in our cars, we only stand to lose.

I am not against electric / hybrid cars - just want to know if we are doing the right thing! If someone has the information on my questions, please share your knowledge! Thanks!

[bobby jayaram]

Originally Posted by arunmur

Aparently my friend knows the place here where the cars chassis manufactured. He recently won the contract for manufacturing the chassis, which accounts to about 600 units per month and the company expects it to raise upto 800 units in the next one year. Most of their sales actually happen in UK.

JFI, the chassis is given to Maini group at above Rs.90k price range. Since the numbers are not big and the chassis is space frame type, where pipes are welded together, the price of the chassis is very high. Another price point of the car is its ABS plastics. They cut down the cost of electric motor(now AC) by sourcing them locally rather than from some internationally(DC).

Originally the Reva was designed in California, it was spotted by EV fans in California in the EV1 days there. That must be around the 1995 time.

So as the numbers raise the price of this car will come down. But still the sales are small, i hope the manufacturer takes initiative in reducing price volentarily and increasing the numbers. Think of Rs.1.8l base price tag instead of Rs.2.5l

This information is not correct and the Reva chassis are manufactured at there factory itself and so yr friend is giving you a tall story about contracts is false. Though this post is a really late reply , i thought it necessary to correct the info.

[Zappo]

Ok. Bump bump. Time for this thread to come back alive. This time the impetus is the launch of Reva in Bhutan and the resulting article in the Bhutan Observer.

Coinciding with the World Environment Day, today, the Department of Energy (DoE) is launching the first electric car in Bhutan.
REVA electric cars are small, compact, economical, and efficient with zero emission. Karma Tshewang from the DoE, the project manager of integrated energy management master plan (IEMMP), said the car was 12 times more economical than a regular car.
The running cost for the REVA car is 40 cheltrums a km as compared to Nu 5.23 a km for the average fueled car.
...

You can read the full article here. It looks like some program supported by the GOI. However what caught my eye in this article was the following astounding claim,

In India, to encourage people to drive environmentally friendly vehicles, the government offers a subsidy of Rs 75,000. The vehicle purchased is also income tax deductable.

Now, considering that we ever so often rue the fact that the government here does not provide the necessary support for such cars as they do in the western world and then after reading these claims do you guys think that there is something that we are not aware of? A rebate of 75k on the price (assuming that GOI pays that part of the price to the manufacturer directly as subsidy) and then IT deductions for the EMI paid I believe should make for a big news if its true!