GM ends alliance with Reva

Following the M&M-RECC pact, the GM called off its deal with electric car firm and plans to source Volt’s technology from their global electric vehicle.

India’s Mahindra buys Reva majority stake, GM to Develop New India Electric Car, Ends Reva Deal.

Indian car maker Mahindra and Mahindra said on Wednesday it had bought a majority stake in Bangalore-based Reva Electric Car to strengthen its position in the low-emission electric auto market.

Mahindra, India’s largest sports utility vehicle and tractor maker, bought a 55.2 percent stake in Reva, a global leader in producing low-cost electric cars.

The deal includes buying out equity from the promoters of Reva and providing 450 million rupees (9.5 million dollars) in fresh equity, a statement to the Mumbai stock exchange said. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

Reva’s promoters, the Maini family, will hold 31% in Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicle Company while Lon Bell, the co-founder, will hold 11% . Employees with stock options will hold the rest. “We expect that there will be 1.5 million electric cars sold globally. I see no reason why Reva cars will not be 50,000 of that 1.5 million in the next 7 to 10 years; this deal is a part of the larger strategy within the Mahindra group of focusing on sustained mobility,” said Pawan Goenka, president (automotive & farm equipment sectors), Mahindra & Mahindra, who will take over as chairman. Given our expertise in the overall vehicle development, we’ll work closely now with Mahindra Reva to make NXR and NXG a cost competitive and commercially viable product. We have also tied up funds for the first launch for Reva (NXR-NXG).”

GM to Develop New India Electric Car, Ends Reva Deal

Aday after Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd said it was taking a controlling stake in Bangalore-based Reva Electric Car Co., General Motors India (GM) scrapped its partnership with the company being acquired, saying it would make use of its own alternative fuel and propulsion technologies. “We plan to look within the General Motors portfolio for alternate technology vehicles,” said Karl Slym, president and managing director of GM India. Its US parent company is working on launching the Volt, a car that runs on batteries and has a small combustion engine that charges the cells as the car runs, giving it a range of 480km. The car is scheduled to be launched in the fourth quarter of this calendar year. The Reva, which operates solely on batteries, has a range of 80km.

The company is on track to launch light commercial vehicles as well as cars brought from its Chinese partner SAIC Corp. by the end of 2011. The cars will be sold in India under the Chevrolet badge. The three light truck models in the one-tonne range will be manufactured at its plant at Halol in Gujarat. It declined to disclose details on the cars to be launched. GM India is a 50-50 partnership between US-based General Motors Corp. and Shanghai-based SAIC Corp.

Volvo to introduce plug-in diesel-electric hybrid by 2012

Volvo will launch its first series-production plug-in hybrid car in 2012

According to a press release from Volvo, the Swedish car manufacturer will launch its first series-production plug-in hybrid car by 2012. This vehicle will be fitted with a fuel-efficient diesel engine and a lithium-ion battery-powered electric motor, and its combined range would be about 1,200km.

According to the statement from Volvo, ‘Pure electric power from the battery will cover the daily transport needs of 75% of drivers. For longer distances, an efficient diesel hybrid engine will automatically take over when the battery energy levels start to run low. CO2 emissions will be less than 50g/km while mileage figures would be around 148.6mpg.’

‘The new Volvo plug-in will be a truly enjoyable car to drive, featuring Volvo's high safety and comfort standards. At the same time, CO2 levels and fuel consumption will be as low as half that available on the market today,’ says Stephen Odell, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.

REVA will unveil new models at Frankfurt International Motor Show.

REVA Electric Car Company, pioneer and technology leaders in the EV market will unveil two new models at the upcoming 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show(IAA) –REVA NXR (next revolution) and REVA NXG (next generation).



REVA NXG is a sporty two-seater with a targa roof and is designed by Dilip Chhabria of the internationally renowned automotive design company - DC Design. The car which will go into production in the year 2011 will have a top speed of 130kmph and a range of 200 kms.

REVA NXR is a four-seat, two-door hatch back family car suitable for urban driving that can be booked and ordered from the show onwards, with production scheduled to commence at the beginning of 2010. The car will run on a Lithium Ion battery and will have a top speed of 104 km per hour and a range of 160 kms on a full charge. In India the NXR will be available as a lead acid battery variant giving a range of 80 km per charge and top speed of 80 kmph.

“The REVA NXR and REVA NXG will redefine the Indian consumer car market,” said Chetan Maini, deputy chairman & chief technology officer, REVA Electric Car Company. “The unveiling of NXR and NXG at the Frankfurt Show is a tremendous step forward in what is sure to be a fascinating journey for EV users across the globe - Affordable and stylish electric vehicles will finally be available to consumer.”

In addition at the Frankfurt Motor Show, REVA will launch REVive technology, a feature & technology unique to REVA that addresses ‘range anxiety’ and will act like an invisible reserve fuel tank. This is the first time such a revolutionary technology is being launched that aims to quell the range anxiety in EV users and meets the lifestyle needs of today’s on-the-go consumer. If a customer runs out of charge, he/she telephones or sends a SMS message to the REVA 24/7 Customer Support Centre and a remote charge enables the REVA new models to continue driving within a few minutes.

Both the REVA NXR and the REVA NXG will feature the REVive telematics technology. Further technology and pricing announcements will be made at IAA.

Both new models will be manufactured at REVA’s new green manufacturing plant in Bangalore. The new models will receive their first boost of charge from solar power at the new plant which will be built on LEEDS guidelines with rainwater harvesting, solar charging, solar heating, and natural ventilation with an intent to reduce carbon footprint.

Blue and Green: Frankfurt Motor Show Theme

Frankfurt Motor show or the International Motor Show (IAA) held at Frankfurt in September of every year draws car enthusiasts and car manufacturers at the same breath.

This year’s IAA is abuzz with the news of Hybrid and electric vehicles taking centre stage in the show. Every major and minor car manufacturers have lined up a slew of these hybrid and electric cars just for the event to paint the automotive world in the colours of Blue and Green.

Making a world debut in the 'Blue Drive Zone' is the Hyundai ix-Metro, a new crossover hybrid with CO2 emissions of just 80g/km. The ix-Metro is powered by an inline three-cylinder petrol engine displacing just one-litre. Direct injection, dual CVVT and turbo-charging are all combined with a six-speed dual clutch transmission to make for a highly potent compact package.

Hyundai will also be unveiling the HND-4 'Blue-Will' plug-in hybrid, which promises 40 miles of all-electric range with its parallel hybrid architecture which combines a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine with direct-injection technology to charge a set of lithium-polymer batteries, which in turn provides power to an electric motor to drive the front wheels.

Kia is also showing their latest hybrid offering. Among the models unveiled will be the 2010 Sorento diesel hybrid - powered by a twin-turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine mated to an electric motor to provide 161 horsepower. The all-new five- or seven-seater Kia Sorento SUV is longer and lower, with sleeker styling and better aerodynamics.

Kia will also debut a mild-hybrid version of the Kia Cee'd hybrid – the company's top-selling model in Europe. The vehicle will pair a 1.6-liter four cylinder gas engine running to a hybrid power-train.

While no stranger to hybrid technology, Toyota will be showcasing three new hybrids at the Frankfurt Show including the Lexus LF-Ch, a 5-door hatch back with Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. Few details have been released on this model but more information is expected at the Show. Also from Toyota is the Toyota Auris Hybrid already proven popular in Europe with 400,000 units sold since its launch in 2007.

Not to be left out, given its iconic hybrid status, the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept will also be making an appearance in advance of its fleet testing scheduled for early 2010.

Indian electric car manufacturers REVA are ready to launch two new fully electric models the REVA NXG a 4-seat family hatch-back and the REVA NXR, a sporty 2-seater. The 4-seat NXR hatch back will run on Lithium ion batteries that can attain a maximum speed of 104kmph and covers a range of 160 kms when fully charged.

Hyundai will also be unveiling the Hyundai i10 Electric, a production-ready zero emissions vehicle. Powered by a 49kW motor and a 16kWh battery, the i10 Electric promises a driving range of 100 miles and top speed of over 80 mph.

The mass of hybrids and electric vehicles due to be unveiled at Frankfurt clearly conveys the current mind-set of the auto-industry, with a strong emphasis on lower emissions. Even Porsche are jumping on the green bandwagon with the announcement of a hybrid version of the Cayenne due in 2010.

We just can’t wait to see the 63rd International Motor Show (IAA) unravel itself on 17th and will run until the 27th of September in Frankfurt.