India: Reva has been making electric cars for years -- but its time may have come

BANGALORE, India — Years before the sleek Tesla Roadster hugged West Coast highways or General Motors unveiled the Chevrolet Volt, a tiny Indian car firm was making and selling stubby electric vehicles turned out by a nondescript factory in Bangalore.

The Reva Electric Car Co. has more all-electric vehicles on the road than any other company, but has yet to turn a profit. Now, Reva’s moment may have arrived.
Last month, General Motors announced that it would use Reva’s technology in the electric version of its Chevrolet Spark, a small car whose conventional gasoline version GM already sells in India and will be selling in the U.S. by 2011. The electric version of the Spark is expected to go on sale in India by the end of next year, according to GM officials.
The NXR

* • Reva’s new model, the NXR, will comply with European safety regulations, seat four and travel up to 100 miles on a full battery charge, at speeds of over 40 miles an hour — what’s known in the industry as a city car.
* • The NXR, which is about a foot and a half shorter than the Mini Cooper, will come in two variations. In Europe, the higher-end model will sell for about 15,000 euros, or $22,000, not including batteries, which the company will lease for an undetermined monthly fee.

Reva’s technology is “second to none,” says Karl Slym, president and managing director of GM India. He says Reva’s appeal came from its drive train, the collection of components that move the car, which is easily installed in different vehicles and works with various batteries.
Source: nwsource.com