Reva to launch electric car next week

Indian car manufacturer Reva will unveil two new electric vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week with a remotely operated reserve charge technology.

The system, designed to assist motorists who run out of electricity on the road, will enable them to call a central location and have reserve battery power remotely activated.

The company will launch the NXR, a four-seat, three-door hatchback model designed for the city, and the NXG, a two-seater sports model, both of which will feature the new technology, called REVive.

REVA has a relatively long history in the electric car market, originally launching its first electric vehicle in 2001. The company has the capacity to make 30,000 vehicles per year in its Bangalore factory.

Its current model can last up to 80km on a single charge and uses lead acid batteries, although the company has announced plans to upgrade them to Lithium-ion in the near future, which could indicate the use of the more advanced technology in the new vehicles.

The lead acid models must be topped up with de-ionised water each month using a special kit.

The cars will be available to the Indian market next year.

The company is building a new ultra low carbon vehicle assembly plant in Bangalore, with a capacity of 30,000 units per annum, to mmet anticipated demand.

India may need as many carbon-cutting cars as possible, as its population becomes more affluent and buys more vehicles.

A report in the Times of India in March revealed that India's Central Pollution Control Board had identified a rising trend in both suspended particulate matter and respirable suspended particulate matter over time.

This contrasted with what environmentalists called "selective" data from the Daily Pollution Control Committee.