Small wonder in Bangalore : Reva

Gone are the good old days when driving a car through the city’s boulevards used to be a welcome distraction. Bangalore today is bursting with traffic and driving a car has become more of a chore, not to mention endless traffic snarls and impossible-to-grab parking space. Other options, the ubiquitous auto rickshaws or the public transport with their incomprehensible squiggles, are equally trying to your patience.

So, what is the best way to travel in namma suvarna Bengaluru? Say hello to Reva, a fully-automatic, battery-driven car with no cumbersome clutch or gears. All you do is start the ignition and accelerate to drive. This small two-door hatchback automobile fits just about two adults and a child. The turning radius of this car is 3.5 m, making it easy to park and manoeuvre.

Elevated seats enhance seating comforts and the foldable seat at the back makes room for that extra luggage. The rear hatch can be opened from the inside using a remote. This car requires very low maintenance as the number of moving parts is very few.

The batteries need less than seven hours for a full charge for an 80-km run at a speed of 65 kmph. All you need to do is plug in to any 15 amp socket, just like charging your mobile phone, and you are set for a tour of the city. The running cost is about 40 paise per km, as compared to Rs 4 per km for petrol.

These small wonders are manufactured at Reva Electric Car Company Hosur Road, and you can avail of more details at their Lavelle Road office. Reva comes in a variety of shades and can even be custom-made to add that personal touch.

In 2005, the company launched a new prototype called REVA NXG in Monaco. This two-seater roadster on a full charge can run for over 200 kms at a top speed of 120 kmph. The new lithium batteries used for this car would make it travel faster and get charged quicker.

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention, and necessity with an eco-friendly drive can hatch a wonder called Reva!