Posted by telbont
It was very interesting to read all the related discussion especially as the owner of a Reva electric car for 2 years. I bought an AC model in June 2006 for close to 4 lakhs and have used it for 13000 km till date and yes, the practical running cost is not 40p but 60paise/km. The batteries are still good, now gives me 45-50 km/charge compared to 65-70 km initially, so I believe they will last for 2 more years, maybe even 3. Surely the initial cost is high but if you can use it for 12000 km/year you get your money's worth, no doubt about it. The car has the comfort of a 4-wheeler and the convenience of a 2-wheeler, that's my description as a user. I no longer worry about traffic or parking woes, the automatic drive is kids play and tension free. The car is solid, I have been banged from behind by a BMTC bus and only the tail lights broke, no dent at all. Any other car would have cost me tinkering and painting. That's because this is made of ABS plastic which absorbs the shock and regains shape to a large extent. It's also true that it requires minimum maintenance, my 6 months regular service costs Rs.700 now (used to be 400). Self-maintenance is however important, like watering the batteries once a month and load equilization, again once a month. And if a regular charge-discharge pattern is done it will ensure longer battery life. Over the last 2 yrs I have interacted with many reva owners and NONE of them were unhappy with their purchase, though most had their own share of complaints. Even I'd say that an actual range of 90-100 km would have been great but still I don't regret buying the car for the unparalleled convenience it offers. Sadly I'm soon going to sell the car as I'm going out of the country for an extended period and the car won't be used frequently by others at home. If anyone's looking to buy an used Reva in 2 weeks from now, I can give the link to the for-sale online ad I'd soon be placing. All in all, the Reva is a fantastic innovation and thumbs up to the Bangalore Maini group who made this a possibility. In fact, it's the cheapest roadworthy electric car in the world, something to be proud of as an Indian.
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