Picture by Kishore Roychowdhury

Its hazardous driving the Reva-i in Calcutta. The two-door hatchback that looks something out of Toyland draws too many curious onlookers. People are so intrigued, they not only mill around the tiny vehicle but also refuse to budge when the car starts up, quite sure that the thing wouldn’t move. And the queries don’t stop, on the middle of the road, at red lights, in the car park: Is this the Tata one lakh car? What does this run on? What’s the price? Policemen stop the green lights to have a dekko, motorists slow down to catch a glimpse, pedestrians stop in their tracks….

For a regular driver, handling the country’s first and only electric car requires a few adjustments. No clutch, no gear, just put the car in front-move mode, step on the gas and the car speeds away. There are just two pedals — the accelerator and the brake — and it’s advisable just to use your right leg. For if you press the accelerator and the brake simultaneously, the battery loses charge.

Now for essentials. The Reva-i has 48 volt, 200 amp-hr, eight lead acid batteries that drive the powertrain. An eight-hour charge will give 80km under ideal driving conditions. So this is essentially a city car unless you have a charger of 220 volts, 2.2 mW, high frequency switch mode type to take with you when you head out of the city. However, it’s a smooth ride once you get the hang of it.

Reva is not just zero polluting but also completely noise-free, both inside and out. The second factor again doesn’t work too well on congested roads as people fail to hear the car approaching, a hazard that t2 faced while test-driving the car. The battery was low and the horn had stopped honking and in congested Meredith Street, where pedestrians crowd the road, it was difficult going.

But inside the cabin, the noiseless drive is a boon with the air-conditioning working full blast. A note of caution: do keep the batteries charged. Reva doesn’t have roll-down glass windows. The glass slides sideways and more than three-fourths of the window remains covered. So without air-conditioning, it can be quite stifling inside.

The Reva, which “took London by storm” and was named the most environmentally-friendly car in the UK by BBC Wildlife magazine, 2007, is a second car option in India. Most of its customers are in Bangalore and many are women who drive it to work or to drop kids to school.

The newly launched Reva-i comes with an improved speed of up to 80 km/hour. An acceleration of 40 km/hour is achieved in seven seconds. The power mode has also been tweaked to give an improved torque of up to 40 per cent more than the earlier model. The use of disc brakes has increased regenerative braking up to zero speed and the anti-roll bar has reduced body roll and improved handling at higher speed.

As for its looks, it scores heavily and stands out on the roads. It’s spacious enough for two adults and no more. The Reva is cute all right, but at Rs 4 lakh-plus, does it really work?

Tech specs

Motor: High torque (52 Nm), AC Induction motor, 3 phase 13kW peak
Controller: 350 Amp microprocessor-based with regenerative braking
Charger: 220V, 2.2 kW, high frequency switch mode type (optional 100-120V)
EMS: Microprocessor-based battery management system
Power Pack: 48V, 200 Amp-hr, EV lead acid batteries

Dimensions

Length: 2638 mm
Width: 1324 mm
Height: 1510 mm
Ground Clearance: 150 mm
Wheel base: 1710 mm
Turning Radius: 3503 mm
Kerb Weight: 700 kg

Ex-showroom prices, Calcutta

Reva Standard: Rs 3,99,343
Reva A/C: Rs 4,55,528
Reva Classe: Rs 4,96,671