It is official Mahindra has announced its plans to launch the SsangYong Rexton, REVA NXR and a compact SUV (mini-Xylo) bu the festive season this year. The Rexton and REVA NXR have been displayed to the public at the 2012 Auto Expo. The compact SUV which is the mini-Xylo is still undergoing tests and will be less than 4-meters in length. The company will also launch the Maxximo Passenger Van in June 2012, while the Verito Compact Sedan (sub 4-meter in length) will only see a market introduction early next year. These vehicles will help Mahindra keep the momentum as it looks at increasing its sales and offering customers something unique and different. The Rexton will be positioned above the Mahindra XUV5OO and is based on the Mercedes-Benz M-Class.

Mahindra had lifted the curtains off the REVA NXR, which is the next generation of electric vehicles from its electric car division. The NXR will replace the original REVA, which was criticized for poor inadequate battery backup and poor performance. The REVA NXR is said to address these issues and more. The quality looks far better than what we have seen on REVA vehicles when it was an independent company. Power will be adequate for a top speed of 80 kmph and the REVA NXR is expected to be priced around Rs. 4.5 lakhs. Mahindra has utilized technology from its REVA division to showcase a Verito Electric Vehicle Concept at the Auto Expo and we can expect the Scorpio to drop the Micro tag in the future to become a full hybrid.

With fuel prices surging up, the future may be all about hybrids and electric vehicles. Already electric scooters are making a foray into the Indian market and starting to make their presence felt on the roads. When it comes to cars, we don’t have much action there however, we do have one indigenous car company Reva making all electric vehicles. Recently, the company was bought over by the SUV leader of the Indian market, Mahindra & Mahindra hinting at the company’s interest to enter into the potential future of transportation. Recently, the new Reva NXR was spied in Mysore undergoing some tests and judging by the spy pictures, it looked the car was in its final stages of testing.

The Mahindra Reva NXR is expected to be finally launched in 2012. The NXR is a 3 door, 4 seater family hatchback that is powered only by electric motors and a battery pack that powers the motors. Two kinds of batteries, lead acid and lithium ion will be offered on the vehicle and will come in 3 range options ranging from 80 to 160 kms. The cheapest version will be powered by lead acid batteries that will help the car attain a top speed of 80 kmph. The most powerful version with lithium ion battery pack will offer a range of 160 kms and take it to a speed of 104 kmph. The car is going to be priced about Rs. 4.5 to 6 lakhs (ex-showroom) and is going to be showcased by the company at the upcoming 11th Auto Expo.

Source – Autocar India and Facebook

The Reva maybe a green vehicle but its not all that practical thanks to its low range and slow acceleration. The company sells the Reva as the G-Wiz in UK through its exclusive importer GoinGreen. However with cars like the Nissan Leaf, Citroen C-Zero, Peugeot iOn and Mitsubishi i-MiEV coming up soon in the UK, the G-Wiz is completely out of place. Thus GoinGreen is planning to discontinue the all battery powered G-Wiz in the UK. The Indian Reva will continue to sell in its current avatar as we are yet to get other electric vehicles which could compete with the Reva at similar price points.

Mahindra Reva has launched the Revai priced at Rs 3.10 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune). The Mahindra Revai sprints from standstill to 40kmph in 7 seconds (that is the same time a normal man takes to walk 50kms) and onto a top speed of 80 kmph. The Revai has a range of 80 kms on full charge and features Energy Management System and regenerative braking system. Mated to an automatic transmission, the Revai can be yours for a refundable deposit of Rs. 1 lakh (through Mahindra finance) and 36 monthly EMI’s of Rs. 7,999/- Once the EMI period ends, you can refund the car and take your deposit back or forget the deposit and keep the car.

“We will be tripling our sales to 3,600 units from the present 1,200 units. Of this, the domestic market will constitute 3,000 units and the balance 600 in overseas markets. We have set a 12-18-month target to achieve this target,” Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles’ Chief Operating Officer, R Chandramouli said. “Presently, we have 10 dealers–we are planning to set up another 90 dealerships across 60-70 cities in the next two- years,” Chandramouli added.

Mahindra is working on technologies to fit into Mahindra vehicles, including the Bolero, Scorpio and light trucks. Mahindra has already tested the prototype of Gio Electric and already sells Bijlee (three-wheeler) and Maxximo (mini truck) powered by electric powertrain.

“We are working with M&M to develop electric charge-based technology that could go in all bigger and small vehicles. Electric vehicles are expected to be the next big league,” Mahindra-Reva COO, R Chandramouli said.

Mahindra Reva is testing the upcoming lithium-ion battery powered NXR at Bangalore. The car was spotted by Adoksh Shastry near the KIADB Industrial Area. Mr. Shastry also spotted the car doing the rounds near the Mahindra plant nearby Jigani. The NXR is a 3-door model which can carry 4 passengers and is scheduled to go into production soon. The NXR has a top speed of 104 kmph and covers 160 kilometres on a single charge. The NXR features keyless operation, dual charge port, digital display and SMS alerts. It can travel up to 120 km per day using 90 minutes fast charges and a fast charge of 15 minutes will provide a 40 km range. The Reva NXR is expected to Rs. 10 lakh.

Edit 24/11/2010 - Pavan Srinath from Bangalore managed to catch a Reva NXR being tested on Hosur Road on the outskirts of Bangalore. The car was taking a U-turn on the highway just beyond Electronic City.

Mahindra REVA has announced that its REVAi vehicle will be available at select Mahindra dealerships in Hyderabad. This is the first major initiative announced by the company post its acquisition by the US $ 7.1 billion Mahindra Group in May 2010. The company has also tied-up with Mahindra finance which will enable them to offer customers a unique financing plan. REVAi buyers can now pay an interest free, refundable deposit of Rs. 1,00,000/-, followed by monthly installments of Rs. 8999/- for a period of 36 months (3 years) and drive home a REVAi. At the end of 3 years, the customer can either continue using the car by making a final payment of Rs. 50,000/- or return the car and claim the refundable deposit of Rs. 1,00,000/-.

The REVAi is equipped with a ‘boost’ mode for acceleration and power. It also has a ‘hill restraint’ feature which allows enhanced negotiation on slopes. As an eco-friendly and economical car, it offers ease of driving without clutch and gears. Its small size makes parking hassle-free and manoeuvrable for safe driving on city roads. Further, the vehicle can drive at 80 km per hour with acceleration from 0-40 km in 7 seconds. REVA’s patented technology incorporated in its Energy Management System (EMS) ensures optimum performance and life from the battery. The car also has a regenerative braking system by which energy is pumped to the battery while slowing down or applying the brakes. With a range of up to 80 km per charge, the REVAi is suitable for most journeys within the city.

Mahindra plans to enter China by launching products from the worlds largest electric vehicle manufacturer Reva. The demand for electric vehicles is on a rise since the world has started to become more environment conscious and the government has started to implement stricter emission norms. China is one of the largest auto market and given the huge demand for eco-friendly vehicles it could generate in future, Reva would take its cars there. China would see a demand of 5 million electric cars by 2020. Reva currently ships cars to the UK and Norway.

Mahindra strengthened its position in the Electric Vehicles domain with the acquisition of a majority stake in REVA Electric Car Co Ltd. Bangalore. The new company will now be called Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicle Co Ltd. Mahindra will own 55.2% equity in Mahindra REVA by a combination of equity purchase from the promoters and a fresh equity infusion of over Rs 45 crores (approx US $10 million) into the company. The buyout makes the Mahindra group a strong global player in the electric vehicle space. REVA is currently marketing its products in 24 countries across the world with an overall vehicle population of over 3500, arguably the largest EV fleet globally. The company recently premiered its next generation electric car models, the NXR and NXG which received an enthusiastic response. Mahindra REVA will now have access to Mahindra’s vehicle development technology and distribution network, significantly enhancing its ability to launch a state-of-the-art electric vehicle for global markets.

Under its core Sustainable Mobility initiative, Mahindra has been working for the last 10 years on developing green technologies and has demonstrated diesel hybrid technology on the Scorpio and hydrogen Alfa three wheelers. Mahindra has a pilot fleet operating with 100% bio-diesel and was the first to launch micro-hybrid technology in India with around 50,000 such micro-hybrids on the road today. In EVs, over and above the electric three-wheeler Bijlee developed in 1999, it is also currently working on an electric version of its mini-truck, Maxximo. Mahindra REVA’s EV technology will be adapted for these and other M&M vehicles. Access to strong EV technology will strengthen Mahindra’s other current sustainability initiatives.

Reva is looking for partners in North America and Europe for setting up contract manufacturing facilities for its electric vehicles after having secured a deal for manufacturing electric cars in Iceland. The company which has presence in 24 countries across the world plans to double its overseas operations by 2012.

“We are at exploratory stages for setting up contract manufacturing facilities in overseas markets, including one in the US with Bannon Auto. No deals have been finalised so far, but we expect some positive results soon,” Reva Electric Car Company President (Sales and Marketing), R Chandramouli said.