[Mpower]

Originally Posted by govigov

Question 1: is such a huge grill required for a car that does not have an internal combustion engine? Can it be made more aerodynamic? Can the heat from the AC intercooler be dissipated in some other way?

Question 2: what is the hindrance in implementing a solar panel for AC and audio / entertainment unit ? ala nissan leaf?

My guess is that styling is intentionally aggressive (big grille, fender flares) to help move away the Geeky image that the Reva was burdened with.
Secondly it has the signature DC design elements & language. Understand that he usually does mostly sporty vehicles.

Originally Posted by Guna

I think the design concept (DC designed) was ready even before Mahindra took over. Mahindra would have loved to put a toothy grill (I wonder why thy did not do that change before launching). Huge grill is really because of the fascination the DC Design has for massive/aggressive grills.

The E20 exterior is pretty much identical to the Reva NXG that was penned by DC (this happened prior to the Mahindra acquisition )
The interior on the NXG was unfinished & its where Mahinda have had the most contribution looks like.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

The Mahindra e2o has been launched in India at a price of between Rs. 5.95 - 6.25 Lakhs (on-road Delhi).

What you'll like:

• Help save the planet. Zero tailpipe emissions and smaller carbon foot-print
• 'Auto box' & quick start-off are an absolute pleasure in stop & go traffic
• Tech-dream: GPS, reverse camera, feature laden head-unit, smart phone integration
• Cute size is a boon when finding parking and maneuvering in the city
• Interior fit and finish are a leap ahead of the Reva-i & bring it on par with today's hatchbacks
• ABS body panels are dent resistant and less prone to ugly scratches

What you won't:

• High price outside of Delhi results in negligible overall cost savings
• Limited battery range makes you think twice about every journey
• 83km/h top speed & sub-par dynamics make it unsuitable for the highway
• Only 2 doors; inconvenient as a family car
• Brakes have an unpredictable and sudden bite to them
• Lack of power-steering makes parking difficult. Bad news for a city run-about

Great review Rehaan. Mahindra has made the cartoonic Reva into a more hospitable car. There is no mistaking the fact that this car is for city use only. You should be fairly ignorant to try this on a highway trip. That can happen once they make the car go 300 - 400kms and drive comfortably at 80 - 100 km/hr, till then this car can be a highway hazard and should ideally stay away from highway use.

I'm sure other governments might soon follow what Delhi government already does with subsidies for electric cars. If not immediately, this would happen in the next 2-3 years. Meanwhile Mahindra might keep developing the supporting charging infrastructure etc. Once the pricing becomes balanced across states, Mahindra can really use their first mover advantage to the fullest. They will be kings in the UV segment and the electric car segment.

Living in the US, I can see the slight and slow swing towards electric and alternate propulsion technologies. Every automaker is doing something or the other to bring out some sort of electric/hybrid powertrain. India has big diesel demand because the prices are low and efficiency is better. But where electrics really shine, and what could be the one reason why such cars would do well in India - city driving - great efficiency in city driving and phenomenal low speed performance. The get up and go nature of the electric motors would be great for our choked cities.

I also think Mahindra can perk the car up a little more - make it export ready. If the price stays under 10 lakhs, that could be a real value proposition anywhere - even in the western world.

[govigov]

Mahindra should have looked elsewhere apart from DC for design queues. It is good to have more car like feel and look with the grill and gear levers. A better looking front end would help in a long way.

The little extra battery that can be activated is very cool.

Solar panel on the leaf is a small unit on the spoiler for the electricals.

May be Mahindra could come up with induction based charging as an option, with the induction plates installed at home, it is just perfect! No need to open the boot, drag the wire and then plugging it in.

Edit:

Battery used is a Lithium-Ion battery. There are some ways to maximize the efficiency of the battery.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a..._ion_batteries

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

But where electrics really shine, and what could be the one reason why such cars would do well in India - city driving - great efficiency in city driving and phenomenal low speed performance.

Absolutely!

I think even the "micro-hybrids" (stop-start) are good for the majority of Indian users who don't use the AC anyway.

Originally Posted by govigov

May be Mahindra could come up with induction based charging as an option

That would just add to cost and lower efficiency for a small convenience. How efficient are the induction charging pads for say, cell phones?

Originally Posted by govigov

Battery used is a Lithium-Ion battery. There are some ways to maximize the efficiency of the battery. http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a..._ion_batteries

Part of these safe/ideal limits are built into the e2o itself. DerAlte mentioned to me that these stats are meant for manufacturers, who them choose how many cycles and to what degree they want to discharge the battery and work that into their own 0-100 charge scale.

cya
R

[sahakar]

I am a bit confused on the charging port.

Does the rear boot door need to be kept open for the charging cable?

Cheers

[MotoNanu]

^^ No, it is NOT required to keep the rear boot door open. After connecting the charging cable, it can be safely closed and also the vehicle will NOT move when the charging is under progress.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by sahakar

Does the rear boot door need to be kept open for the charging cable?

There is a small cut-out right below the e2o badging that allows the cable to pass through even though the boot door is completely shut:



cya
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[anurag.somani]

Here is an interesting article about the environmental costs of electric cars:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22001356

Some snippets:

in some circumstances electric cars can have a greater impact on global warming than conventional cars.

the energy intensive manufacturing of EVs mean that some cars make almost double the impact on global warming as conventional cars

For a European average power generation mix, and if you use your car for 150,000km, you could hope for a 25% improvement [in global warming impact] relative to a gasoline car.

EVs right now are not so environmental-friendly; after-all!

[honeybee]

Why not plonk the new battery pack in the old Reva? Though it may be an odd design, I am sure it will give a better effective range, since it should be much lighter than the e2o. And this way, they could sell the cars to two distinct audiences.

What Mahindra has done with the styling and the features of the e2o is to try and position it as an electric/automatic hatch. But in doing so they are pushing up the price, and also sacrificing some part of the effective range.

The Reva also appeals to another audience, which buys it for its 'cool' factor (zero tailpipe emissions, silent operation etc) and the unconventional looks. They are saddled with the old lead acid battery pack. If the li-ion battery could be plonked into the Reva, I think the Reva too would enjoy the good bits about the new battery pack such as faster charging and longer range, while it would be positioned purely as a two-seater, and much below the e2o's price point. This is where it would start making financial sense too.

[Motored Mindset]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Other Points:
The car is extremely quiet when in motion, so people do not hear you coming. Keep this in mind and use the horn liberally to warn unsuspecting pedestrians.

Mahindra should seriously think about a mini-SUV based on the e2o's technology and platform instead of the electric Verito. Now before the SUV purists get riled up, we have to remember that there are some inherent properties that electrics (and specifically the e20) have that make them ideal for off-roading, even if not the hard-core variety.

First, they have torque available from the get-go, perfect for modulating over bumps and ruts, second is that when off-roading, figures like top speed don't matter so the e20's 85 kph is par for the course and its range would be adequate for about 40 kms of hard-revving offroading (with the potential for the range to only increase in future). The e20 platform is very narrow with a short wheelbase, similar to nimble SUV's like the Suzuki Jimny. Lastly, they make absolutely no noise, perfect for jungle trails where people can get upclose to wild animals without scaring them off or disturbing them - something petrol and diesel engines regularly do.

[dutta_d1]

Excellent review. Also it seems like EVs are finally considerable for buying, even though lots of people would be skeptical.

By the way,

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Other Points:
• When you park on a hill, you're relying ONLY on your hand brake. Unlike conventional cars, the transmission provides no resistance here. This lack of a double braking mechanism can be scary for people like me, whose permanent parking spot is on an incline.

Not an issue. 2 bricks behind the wheels would do the trick.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Why not plonk the new battery pack in the old Reva?

The old Reva did come with a Li-Ion battery pack later on in its life.

I'm not sure whether that version was sold in India or not.

Originally Posted by Motored Mindset

Mahindra should seriously think about a mini-SUV based on the e2o's technology

To approach the off-roading angle with EVs is extremely niche. If Mahindra wants success with EVs, they need to go more mainstream.

Tesla for example has a 3 step plan like this:
1) Low volumes / Expensive : Tesla Roadster
2) Medium volumes / Premium : Tesla S
3) High volumes / Affordable : _______?

cya
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[supertinu]

Great review Rehaan. Very comprehensive and covers all aspects. Finally our India Tesla is here .

Few things that I loved about the car

• Mahindra has not taken a half hearted or a step motherly approach to it. They definitely have put in all the effort/resources to come up with a serious product that people will be willing to buy over numerous hatchback options

• My personal taste maybe but I do find the front designing pretty good

• Very good technology implementation and integration. Esp the HU and the smartphone apps. Long term electronics reliability is to be watched closely. Mahindra has had hiccups with XUV electronics

• Pretty decent interior space. Lack of boot space should not be a big deal since with its drive range it is pretty much a city car

Few things that I didnt like

• Should have been a 4 door hatch vs a 2 door. Nano did the right thing by going 4D. Would have made it more conventional considering Mahindra wants ppl to treat this like any other hatchback

• Mahindra has skimped on some safety features like ABS atleast. It would have definitely added weight/cost but considering the front has no engine, I wonder what is the frontal crash worthiness.

Good luck Mahindra. My respect for the company continues to grow. From Boleros to Scorpio to XUV to E2O the company has continued its growth and ambitions like no other India company has.

[metropolis]

Excellent write up and the car looks way better than the Reva. Surprisingly, Mahindra has done a good job in designing of interior and specially the exterior, which according to me is missing with the company (no offence to Mahindra owners).

Being this totally a fresh game altogether, hope it is able to shape out the picture!

[Rehaan]

Added some more info into the review:

• Mahindra says they have tested the battery for more than 120,000 kms and 'still the performance is excellent'.
• The battery pack capacity is 10 kwh.
• Mahindra says the battery pack should last for 5-7 years and its difficult to predict what the price of the battery will be when the time comes to replace it.
• The car warranty (excluding battery) is 3 years / 36000 kms. (Thats just 6,000 kms more than the battery pack warranty).
• Sun2 car price range is Rs 1 - 1.6 lakh.

cya
R