As we enter the era of electric cars, we feel there is a need to shed some light on a company that pioneered this concept in India before no other manufacturer even thought of it. Yes, we are talking about Reva Electric Car Company, which is now Mahindra Electric and manufactures many electric vehicles that Indians can proudly buy. Not only this; Mahindra Electric’s expertise has enabled the Mahindra Racing team to make headlines on the world stage by participating in the Formula E Championship every year since 2014. Let’s take a look at this long journey and how it has resulted in Mahindra Electric being what it is today.
History of Rewa
Reva Electric Car Company was established in 1994. It was a joint venture between Maini Group of Bangalore and AEV LLC of USA. From the very beginning, the goal of this venture was to develop and release an affordable compact electric car. Its labor bore the first fruits in 2001 when the two-seater Reva electric car was unveiled. In case you are unaware, this is the car on which the Mahindra e2o is based.
The Reva EV was launched in the UK in 2003 as the G-Vis. It was eventually made available in 24 countries, with a total of about 4,500 vehicles sold. This number may not seem large, but it must be recognized that these cars were being sold at a time when there was very little awareness of electric vehicles in the global markets.
Mahindra comes along
Reva was acquired by Mahindra & Mahindra in May 2010 as part of the company’s larger strategy to focus on sustainable mobility. And it was in 2013 that the Mahindra e2o was born. The car was a rebranded Reva NXR, an EV hatchback that cost just under Rs 6 lakh. It came with a lithium-ion battery pack, which took five hours to fully charge and offered a range of 100kms. This two-door model met with moderate success and was eventually taken off the market.
The most recent remnant of the Reva legacy was the Mahindra E2o Plus (pictured above), which was discontinued a while back. This advanced EV provided an economical driving experience apart from a seating capacity of 5 people. Thanks to the 88Wh battery at its heart, the car can do 140kms on a single charge.
new era
In 2016, the company was rebranded as Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited, with an aim to focus not only on electric cars, but also on powertrains and integrated mobility solutions. And in the same year eVerito was launched.
It is the current flagship offering from Mahindra Electric and also India’s first electric sedan. It offers a range of 181kms and offers a direct drive transmission, spacious interiors and regenerative braking, among other things. Mahindra Electric’s portfolio also includes cargo vehicles such as the eSupro and Treo.
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This wide range of EVs that the company is rolling out is a testament to the fact that EVs in India have a long way to go. Today Mahindra Electric has partnered with Mahindra Racing to produce cars for the Formula E Championship. But taking a good look at the company’s journey has revealed to us that the journey is already a long one and what it exists today would not have been possible without the efforts made decades ago.
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