Under $10K EV from India - Mahindra Reva E20

This is the same manufacturers as the G-Whiz in London. Manufactured in India.. .. Almost 3Million Kms driven .. manufacturing EVs since late 1990s

2 door 4 seater car with 80KMph top speed and 120Km range.

Drove it recently... Fully featured ...Very impressive... Any other experiences??

http://mahindrareva.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://mahindrareva.com/product/features" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://mahindrareva.com/pdf/e2oFutureofMobilityBrochure.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

maini said:

2 door 4 seater car with 80KMph top speed and 120Km range.

Click to expand...

Didn't look at all the specs - what is the capacity of the battery ? Is it Li or the old lead acid ?

They are lithium-ion phosphate. Interestingly, the T2O version advertises 60 mins to full charge with commercial 3-phase AC supply input of up to 12kW...

evnow said:

Didn't look at all the specs - what is the capacity of the battery ? Is it Li or the old lead acid ?

Click to expand...

I hope they've updated their air bags during the past few years . . . . apparently these must be built into the steering wheel, as the dummy whacks head against it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZhprjmS-zU[/youtube]


.

I have seen one in the streets of Chennai, India. I spoke to the owner who was enthusiastic that it saved him on gas. It sure looked like an overgrown toy and can't believe it can maintain anything more than 50 kph. The owner said he has touched 60 kph a few times.

The tech spec says, "Battery: 48V maintenance-free Lithium-ion" - Whatever this means ?

"4 hours to full charge; 1 hr for 25 km range from a standard 220V 15 A socket" - this would imply 15*220*4, or around 11kwh of capacity with a 90% charging efficiency and a tapering at the end.

My father had a lead-acid battery scooter that lost most of its capacity in two years. All of these will suffer rapid capacity loss in the incessant tropical heat.

mkjayakumar said:

I have seen one in the streets of Chennai, India. I spoke to the owner who was enthusiastic that it saved him on gas. It sure looked like an overgrown toy and can't believe it can maintain anything more than 50 kph. The owner said he has touched 60 kph a few times.

Click to expand...

That makes it more like a NEV than an EV ?

mkjayakumar said:

I have seen one in the streets of Chennai, India. I spoke to the owner who was enthusiastic that it saved him on gas. It sure looked like an overgrown toy and can't believe it can maintain anything more than 50 kph. The owner said he has touched 60 kph a few times.

The tech spec says, "Battery: 48V maintenance-free Lithium-ion" - Whatever this means ?

"4 hours to full charge; 1 hr for 25 km range from a standard 220V 15 A socket" - this would imply 15*220*4, or around 11kwh of capacity with a 90% charging efficiency and a tapering at the end.

My father had a lead-acid battery scooter that lost most of its capacity in two years. All of these will suffer rapid capacity loss in the incessant tropical heat.

Click to expand...

Not sure why you are comparing a Lead acid battery scooter to this Car when it clearly states it has a LION battery.. not sure why you are harboring sarcasm on that statement too. BTW this car has air conditioning/temperature controlling for the battery which makes is better than our Leaf... this is to cater to hot temperatures. Also this car has over 5000 sold in may countries.. Please research. It has not been made for US markets.. it is meant for other countries where the speeds are not has high and the distances are not as long... they probably have plans to come to US with a different model. You cannot dispute decades of EV experience here..

The E20 looks like little more than a G-Wiz with updated styling. And unless it can pass our crash standards (the EuroNCAP version of which its predecessor failed horribly), the only way it can be sold here is as a NEV, with an artificially-limited top speed of 25 MPH/40 km/hr. Considering I see far more Leafs than any NEV, I doubt there would be much of a market for the E20 here.

There was a plan to manufacture this in US - but Mahindra's plans fell apart.

Our family once owned a ~1955 VW Microbus which had a "reserve tank" lever which would give you an additional ~1 additional gallon of gas. This came in handy more than a few times when the engine started sputtering as the carburetor began to run low on gas.

I notice this Reva EV MAY tout a similar feature in its brochure: "Cooling, locking, unlocking and a whole lot of other things can be done with your smartphone while you are at home or office. Moreover, with our unique patented REVive® technology, in case your e2o is low on energy, you can use the app to activate a reserve charge that can get you going again.".

Whether or not this car actually has such a feature similar to the old VW bus/beetle, does anyone or especially those who have run out of power (or close to it) think something like it could be useful in a Leaf?

MikeD said:

Our family once owned a ~1955 VW Microbus which had a "reserve tank" lever which would give you an additional ~1 additional gallon of gas. This came in handy more than a few times when the engine started sputtering as the carburetor began to run low on gas.

I notice this Reva EV MAY tout a similar feature in its brochure: "Cooling, locking, unlocking and a whole lot of other things can be done with your smartphone while you are at home or office. Moreover, with our unique patented REVive® technology, in case your e2o is low on energy, you can use the app to activate a reserve charge that can get you going again.".

Whether or not this car actually has such a feature similar to the old VW bus/beetle, does anyone or especially those who has run out of power (or close to it) think something like it could be useful in a Leaf?

Click to expand...

I would like that feature if it hit turtle mode.. they could move it us an drive me about 5-10 miles.. then that would be awesome.

What is the warranty period for the batteries?

With our new 'Goodbye Fuel Hello Electric' program the battery ownership lies with us. The battery is leased to you for a nominal fee, starting at Rs. 2599/month and we guarantee the battery's performance to at least 75% of its original capacity for the period of the lease. This means you don't have to worry about battery replacement cost! (T&C apply)


How do I charge my car and how long does it take?

There are three ways to charge the e2o.

This takes 5-6 hours charging time with 15A 220V plug point at your home.

Quick2Charge® - It’s an innovative charging technology that can fully charge the e2o in under an hour! The Quick2Charge station is a DC fast charging unit that comes with a commercial 3-phase AC supply input of up to 12kW!

Solar Charging - Another unique charging option that harvests the power of the sun! You can either charge the e2o at the Sun2Car stations or even better, you can install solar panels at your home or workplace at a minimal cost. The solar panels can be used to power your home as well!
How often do I charge the battery?

Here's ready reckoner for charging. If you drive:
20-30kms – Charge once in 3 days
30-40kms or – Charge once in 2 days
50kms + – Charge every day

Quick tip: Charge batteries to 100% at least once in 3 days. It's a good habit to keep it plugged-in overnight so the batteries are topped-up to full capacity!



They recommend that you keep it topped off.

and also not sure what "48V Lithium-ion" battery means ?

RonDawg said:

The E20 looks like little more than a G-Wiz with updated styling. And unless it can pass our crash standards (the EuroNCAP version of which its predecessor failed horribly), the only way it can be sold here is as a NEV, with an artificially-limited top speed of 25 MPH/40 km/hr. Considering I see far more Leafs than any NEV, I doubt there would be much of a market for the E20 here.

Click to expand...

I think there are a lot more improvements technology wise and styling/safety. It is a completely new/redesign. I am not proposing it is ready for the US market for now as a full EV but there is a possibility that it could easily slide into the Smart EV range once it is tested etc. There is a market for that in the large cities etc.
http://mahindrareva.com/product/features/safe" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
HIGH STRENGTH STEEL FRAME/CRUMPLE ZONE
What makes the e2o strong, sturdy and safe? A unique high strength steel space frame that keeps the car protected from hard impacts, ensuring complete safety to everyone in the car!
EU CRASH TEST
The e2o is EU crash tested. Passing the EU crash test means fulfilling the stringent European safety norms.

Here is a cool blog from an actual owner..
http://www.pluginindia.com/blogs/why-i-got-the-mahindra-e2o" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Imagine if the average size of the car we drive (occupancy average is below 2 in the USA) was just reduced by say 3 feet the congestion on our roads would be reduced considerably. Why do we need such huge cars when our occupancy is less than 2 on an average?? The biggest impact will be cities like Chicago, San Francisco, Manhattan etc. Those Cabs are just ridiculously sized and probably the most uncomfortable cars to get in or out of.

RonDawg said:

...the EuroNCAP version of which its predecessor failed horribly...

Click to expand...

There's no listing that it was ever tested. I'd find it odd if it was as I don't think it was homologated as a car, but as a quadricycle.

there is a possibility that it could easily slide into the Smart EV range once it is tested etc

Click to expand...

Discounting crash test worthiness and such, I would guess it has to maintain 60 mph for atleast some length of time to be certified street legal.

mkjayakumar said:

there is a possibility that it could easily slide into the Smart EV range once it is tested etc

Click to expand...

Discounting crash test worthiness and such, I would guess it has to maintain 60 mph for atleast some length of time to be certified street legal.

Click to expand...

No one is saying the same car would land up.. an upgraded version is a possibility... the point is that it exists and has made considerable progress.. the current speed is 85Kmph.. getting to 100 should not be tough through upgrades and other safety considerations etc.

I enjoyed reading the blog from one of the users. We see the same set of skepticism that runs deep here: too costly, will strand you etc.. Except there is no oil or dealer lobby over there working overtime behind the scenes to curb these innovations.

donald said:

RonDawg said:

...the EuroNCAP version of which its predecessor failed horribly...

Click to expand...

There's no listing that it was ever tested. I'd find it odd if it was as I don't think it was homologated as a car, but as a quadricycle.

Click to expand...

This is the video I am talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6NhuIS1RAE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The video's description says "EuroNCAP" but the test was done by "Transport Research Laboratory." I don't know if the latter does testing for the former.

My understanding is that like with NEVs here in the US, in the UK and perhaps elsewhere in Europe the G-Wiz has usage limitations defined by law, like not being allowed on motorways. Not sure if that's what you mean by "quadricycle."

maini said:

The e2o is EU crash tested. Passing the EU crash test means fulfilling the stringent European safety norms.

Click to expand...

Do you have a link to EuroNCAP or other entity besides Mahindra to validate that? I found a crash test for a G-Wiz (where it, like many other Indian-made cars, simply folded up like an accordion), but not one for the e20.

maini said:

MikeD said:

Our family once owned a ~1955 VW Microbus which had a "reserve tank" lever which would give you an additional ~1 additional gallon of gas. This came in handy more than a few times when the engine started sputtering as the carburetor began to run low on gas.

(snip)

Whether or not this car actually has such a feature similar to the old VW bus/beetle, does anyone or especially those who has run out of power (or close to it) think something like it could be useful in a Leaf?

Click to expand...

I would like that feature if it hit turtle mode.. they could move it us an drive me about 5-10 miles.. then that would be awesome.

Click to expand...

You already have that feature in the Leaf. It's called "Low Battery Warning" and "Very Low Battery Warning."

The reason the oldest rear-engined VW's, and many (especially older) motorcycles, had reserve levers is because they lacked fuel gauges. Modern cars have fuel gauges and now warning lights/sounds to let you know you're running low on fuel.