Team-BHP - Mahindra Reva e2o : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perakath (Post 3101327)

The option of having spare and user-replaceable batteries would go a long way in reducing this concern. The spare batteries could be charged on the side and could even be carried in the car as luggage on a day when long use is apprehended.

Unlike a spare mobile battery, this car's batteries wouldn't exactly be 'carriable'. I am assuming a major part of the vehicle's weight is contributed to by its battery pack. Also it's not a single car battery, it's an array of such batteries (at least for the lead acid ones). So a spare battery pack would need a few good men to carry it around. Also if this battery pack is loaded into the car, it increases the weight of the car and drives down the efficiencies. On top of that I doubt if the battery pack is hot-swappable.

For any contingencies, you need to either use a regular car, or have some Mahindra dealerships in the vicinity with charging infrastructure.

The electric cars of today aren't meant for unplanned and long trips, sadly. It will take a few more years for them to become more mainstream in that respect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by civicsense (Post 3102770)

I feel Mahindra should have a scheme where it lets potential buyers hire the car for a week or two, at a cost, use it in real life for a reasonable period, see how it fits into their schedule, and then take a decision to buy it.

There is a car rental company in Bangalore that is planning to (or has already) aquire E2Os to give out on rental basis. Check on that!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sutripta (Post 3095638)

Who is the battery manufacturer?

Was waiting for you to ask a question i wouldn't be able to answer! :D

Sorry - don't know who the manufacturer is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeybee (Post 3097831)

Is each replacement battery pack with its own warranty?

Good question! I would assume so. However, i don't think Mahindra themselves have even begun to work out the specifics of replacement batteries - which will only start to happen 3+ years down the line.

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeybee (Post 3097831)

If Reva (or Mahindra Reva now) can fit the Li-Ion battery pack into an existing Reva, it would make a very good argument to go and pick up a used Reva, if one was available.

Reva L-ion was introduced in 2009 as far as i can tell (though not sure about in India):
http://gigaom.com/2009/01/05/reva-to...m-ion-battery/

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deo (Post 3098213)

It is a month now since the launch at Delhi, any idea of the response in the market ?

The next few months sales figures will tell. Though I don't think they'll meet their expected targets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by neeld (Post 3099998)

On asking them about revised/higher price, they stated - prices on website and at launch were pre-budget prices :Frustrati.

Thats strange. We called 2 Delhi dealers and they gave us this pricing (and this was after the budget). Do cross-check.

Quote:

Originally Posted by civicsense (Post 3102770)

4. Breaking was a bit, err, unusual, maybe because of the regenerative part of it.

Read the "Braking" paragraph of the review. It will explain why.

Quote:

Originally Posted by civicsense (Post 3102770)

I feel Mahindra should have a scheme where it lets potential buyers hire the car for a week or two...

Here's the company MPower mentioned : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...bangalore.html

cya
R

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeybee (Post 3097831)

On another note, I had heard a few years back (also read in the newspapers) that Toyota Kirloskar Motors (or probably the Kirloskar part of it) had come up with a kit to convert the traditional ICE car into a hybrid by adding an electric motor. I had even dashed off an email to them then, offering my car as a test mule if need be. However nobody seems to know anything about the same.

IIRC, the scheme was adding a motor/ alternator + battery. But the motor was to be a belt drive to the crank, just like the traditional alternator. (Hence the statement that can be fitted to practically any car). They were making some pretty impressive claims about it, but seems to have vanished into thin air.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehaan (Post 3104170)

Sorry - don't know who the manufacturer is.

Hi,
I would have thought most of the technical discussion would be about the battery. Apart from the chemistry - power density - life - cost - etc, SAFETY. (Ask Nokia, Sony, or more recently Boeing/ Yuasa!)

Regards
Sutripta

I love the idea - such a car would be ideal for me. I bought my Linea in 2009 and earlier this month I touched 20,000 kms. And this includes a few trips to Pune and Mahableshwar. I am usually stuck in traffic commuting to and fro work - the distance is perhaps 10-12 kms but takes me between 30 - 40 mins each way. Otherwise, I just drive it to the tennis club and back. But I would be a bit circumspect buying the first generation model - I'd probably wait for the next generation model so that they sort out any teething problems. I have driven the Prius and it is absolutely awesome to drive. I have a feeling Mahindra in a few years will be offering a few more of their cars as Hybrids - it makes perfect sense.

Additionally, for longer drives it would be great if Mahindra offered hot swappable batteries. You drive from Bombay to Pune - halfway you turn in your battery at a petrol pump for another charged battery and continue on. In this manner they could keep refurbishing their batteries as well and could give customer a longer warranty on their batteries - after 5 years of ownership, you have to buy a new set.

Quote:

Originally Posted by invidious (Post 3106612)

Additionally, for longer drives it would be great if Mahindra offered hot swappable batteries. You drive from Bombay to Pune - halfway you turn in your battery at a petrol pump for another charged battery and continue on. In this manner they could keep refurbishing their batteries as well and could give customer a longer warranty on their batteries - after 5 years of ownership, you have to buy a new set.

To paraphrase a popular ad, what an idea sirji!

I guess they could market this service to the prospective owners and ask them to subscribe for this facility by paying some annual amount.

The real hard task for them will be to arrange these 'staging posts' at regular intervals along the highways.

A few good stretches they can experiment with this on could be; Bombay-Pune, Bangalore-Chennai, Bangalore-Mysore, New Delhi- Agra, New Delhi- Jaipur, Ahmedabad- Baroda, Mangalore - Goa...etc

Another thing is that the whole process of swapping the batteries is not just a quick swap. It is a slightly more laborious process and can cause delays etc which can be irritating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan (Post 3107116)

Ah - I didn't realize that it the process is laborious. If it wasn't they could just tie up with Hindustan Petroleum or someone else for this service - would save them from creating a distribution network.

Besides I am sure as the technology improves and if there is indeed a market then the next generation of EVs will have a higher range.

This could be a big hit in tier 2 cities provided the car is made cost effective in terms of overall package.

- The distances in tier 2 cities & hill states (Uttaranchal & Himachal) are low to moderate (a day run can barely touch 40 - 50 km) which is good for this car. The car can be a runaway success in himachal (cheap electricity, small disctances, availability of torque from start - very good for hills etc, clean environment, small turning radius and easy parking - provided a power steering EPS is added)

- People generally stay in row houses or may be 2 storey apartments where space is not at premium and the required place for parking and charging right in front of house / apartment is feasible (in cities like Delhi etc, parking right in front of apartment cannot be guaranteed and thus charging becomes a challange).

- The cost has to come down as people in tier 2 cities would not like to spend 5 Lac+ on a car which cannot take them places (due to limitations with this car).

- ABS is not liked by many buyers (This can be crosschecked even from the success of metal body scooters in the market against ABS body scooters etc). M & M should consider a metal body (there may be arguments in favour of ABS - I am sharing general perception).

- A 4 door hatch instead of 2 door may be (again from general perception of expectations from the buyers).

I am planning to buy it for my father but am waiting for the reviews and some correction in pricing of this car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan (Post 3107116)

Another thing is that the whole process of swapping the batteries is not just a quick swap. It is a slightly more laborious process and can cause delays etc which can be irritating.

Shai Agassi did just that in Israel with Better Place - a model that allows one to to swap a battery pack in less than 5mins in a gas station, and pay for "electric miles" and not for the actual battery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by i74js (Post 3117128)

- ABS is not liked by many buyers (This can be crosschecked even from the success of metal body scooters in the market against ABS body scooters etc). M & M should consider a metal body (there may be arguments in favour of ABS - I am sharing general perception).

You do realize, of course, that moving from ABS to metal will increase the weight of the car and drive down the effective range and in turn necessitate a bigger battery which will again increase the weight and drive down the effective range and so on AND increase the wear and tear as well as expenditure since metal will be prone to scratches and dents?

^^

Well then why not an ABS body on normal cars (yes attempts have been made but in general metal has been found to be the best option. At times aluminium is used to lighten the vehicle but only in premium vehicles.

Using ABS for normal vehicles would make them too more scratch and dent proof if we may say so, and also lighter and give better fuel efficiency, but considering costs, maintenance etc. this is not the mode selected. There appears to be no obvious reason whey weight would be acceptable in a normal vehicle (at the cost of fuel efficiency and range) vs. an electric vehicle. The Nano is also intended to be cheap, and yet strong. Light and yet easy to maintain.

A Metal body cannot really be ruled out as an option for the e2O there are benefits to the wt. increase - Safety might be one of them. Thinner sheet metal could possibly be as effective in wt. vs. strength compromise as ABS. The vehicle might cost a bit lesser as an added advantage.

That said using ABS is not necessarily a major problem either, it is just another way to go about it and all don't need to adopt this path.