Introduction
Reva NXG
India's automotive and computer industries have achieved remarkable synergy in the Reva NXG. Apart from looking good, this little car is Linux equipped and Internet enabled, in a much cleverer way than European or US cars.
Indian Electric Car
The NXG is a show car version of the rather dull looking Reva electric car made in Bangalore. The Reva is sold in the UK by "GoinGreen" as the G-Wiz, where it is exempt from the London congestion charge and some parking fees.
On a visit to India I photographed a Reva in a village. It looked like a car Noddy would drive. Indian based design company DC Design transformed this into a cool looking car for a motor show by cutting the roof off, adding mag wheels and painting it bright red. It would not look out of place alongside a Mercedes Smart car.
NXG Dashboard
The clever part in information technology terms, is on the dashboard. Up-market cars now have a large screen for navigation and entertainment in the center of the dashboard. Some also have a second screen replacing the speedometer in front of the driver. The NXG has just one large screen in the middle of the dashboard for both functions.
Building an electronic display for a car is a major engineering task. Reva have sidestepped the problem for the prototype by embedding an Indian made tablet computer in the dashboard. This Linux touch screen computer is then programmed to be the speedometer, GPS navigation system and MP3 player. In addition it has Internet access via GPRS (popular in India).
This is a show car and may not be mass produced. But some of it is likely to go into future models. It shows what is possible. Adding more computer power to the car can also be used for better energy use. Australia has makers of electric car technology and one-off cars, perhaps they can learn from and work with, India.
It can be difficult to find information on Reva and DC Design web sites, as they tend to use ZIP and Flash formats. So here are the Technical Specifications and Press release from the REVA-NXG Press Kit converted to ordinary web pages (more on the Reva company on a separate page):
REVA-NXG: Technical Specifications
Top speed 120 km/h Range 200 km per charge Motor type AC induction motor water cooled Max power 37 kW Max torque 220 Nm Seating capacity 2 Batteries Sodium nickel chloride ( Zebra ) Battery capacity 18 kWhr Charging time 6 hrs Charger 230 v ac, 3.2 kW on board charger Suspension Front- McPherson strut, rear - independent semi trailing arm Height 1550 mm Width 1640 mm Length 2620 mm Braking front Ventilated disc brake with regenerative braking Braking rear Drum Ground clearance 180 mm Curb weight 825 kgs Wheel base 1810 mm Track 1400 mm Display system Vehicle data, internet, email, GPS navigation & MP3 music
Press Release
Union Minister Kapil Sibal unveils REVA's new Electric Vehicle in Monaco
REVA-NXG': REVA's showcase concept car features state-of-the-art technologies from India.
Monaco, April 2, 2005 - Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science & Technology, launched 'REVA-NXG,' the next generation Electric Vehicle created by REVA Electric Car Company Pvt. Ltd. (RECC) in Monaco today. The new concept car is the result of a collaborative effort between RECC, automobile designer Dilip Chhabria and Simputer developer Encore Software. 'REVA-NXG' demonstrates India's effectiveness in integrating EV technology, design, telematics, and manufacturing expertise in the most cost effective manner globally.
'REVA-NXG' is a two-seater roadster with an extended range of 200 Kilometers per charge and a speed of 120 Kilometers per hour. The car is powered by a high performance 37 kW AC induction motor that drives the front wheels, and uses Sodium Nickel Chloride batteries in lieu of conventional lead acid batteries for extended life. 'REVA-NXG's' 4-wheel independent suspension with integrated regenerative and hydraulic braking system provides excellent handling and braking.
The car is fitted with a "wireless tablet", an embedded appliance that integrates into a high-resolution single touch-screen display system all vehicle dashboard functions such as Speed, State-of-Charge, Range and critical sensor inputs as well as personal communication tools such as GPS-based in-vehicle navigation, a GPRS Modem for internet and e-mail, and MP3 music.
Mr. Chetan Maini, Deputy Chairman of REVA Electric Car Company Private Ltd. (RECC), said the new concept car was developed to showcase REVA and India's expertise in developing future EV technologies.
"We have three of the best in business coming together to showcase India's capabilities," said Mr. Maini. "This concept car takes us one step forward in developing newer EV technologies and serves as a long-term solution to the world's pollution and transportation problems."
Mr. Maini said Bangalore has unique technical infrastructure for the development of EV technology such as expertise in IT, electronics, automotive components and plastics.
"This advantage combined with the unique advantages of Indian industry has helped us in succeeding to manufacture REVA electric cars commercially with low volumes and still affordable prices," said Mr. Maini.
Mr. Kapil Sibal, India's Union Minister for Science & Technology and Ocean Development, attended the Electric Vehicle Symposium in Monaco and stressed on " the need for global collaboration to make EV technology viable around the world."
"REVA's new concept car is truly a technical marvel which promotes alternate fuel technology in India and abroad," said Mr. Sibal. "With global warming and congestion and pollution continuously rising in the cities around the world, it becomes incumbent upon us to support and embrace such technologies."
"The world today is aware of the need to preserve the environment and that will be one of the main challenges of this century," continued Mr. Sibal. "EVs can fulfill an important role once they gain wider acceptance for on-road transportation. R&D initiatives by companies such as REVA are making headway in achieving this goal by revolutionizing transportation in India and putting it on the world map."
The body of the concept car is designed by Dilip Chhabria Design Pvt. Ltd to appeal to younger audiences with its aggressive, bold, sharp and chiseled features. 'REVA-NXG's' design is a contemporary one that complements its state-of-the-art technology. Dilip Chhabria, managing director of Dilip Chhabria Design Pvt. Ltd said he wanted to work with REVA because he felt the company was the only credible EV manufacturer in India. We needed to design a car that met global standards in terms of design and dimension. We spent between 25,000 to 30,000 man-hours on designing the car. It is a labor of love, " Mr. Chhabria added.
According to Vinay L Deshpande, Chairman & CEO, Encore Software, "We are privileged to be associated with REVA, the pioneers of electric vehicles, in integrating Encore's state-of-the-art mobile, embedded systems technology into the new electric car's dashboard which is perhaps the first example of a fully graphic, in-vehicle information display system. This association brings together three pioneering product-oriented companies and enables Encore to strengthen its position as one of the leaders in the area of mobile, embedded systems technology."
About REVA Electric Car Company:
REVA Electric Car Company Pvt. Ltd. (RCC), based in Bangalore, India, was incorporated in 1994 as a joint venture between the Maini Group, India, and AEV LLC, California, USA, to manufacture environment-friendly and cost-effective electric vehicles.
Seven years of R&D earned the RECC recognition in the form of 10 patents and a globally accepted product. REVA, India's first zero polluting Electric Vehicle for city mobility, was commercialized in June 2001.
The success of commercializing REVA at affordable prices stems from the support it has received from the Maini Group. The Group has been committed to producing zero-pollution transportation equipment and automotive components since 1984. The Maini Group also produces battery operated materials handling equipment and off-road electric vehicles.
The REVA Electric Car Company Pvt. Ltd. is located at the Bommasandra Industrial Area in Bangalore, India. The company has an installed capacity of 6000 units and 180 employees.
The existing model of the EEC-certified REVA is currently available in India and marketed in U.K. as G-Wiz. It is also being test marketed in USA, Malta, Japan, Sri Lanka, Cyprus, Norway and other European countries.
RECC's vision is to establish a tradition of excellence and leadership in environment friendly urban transportation by offering the best value and highest quality electric vehicles for city mobility.
About Encore Software:
Encore Software Limited, earlier known as Ncore Technology Pvt. Ltd., is a dynamic products company that combines core technical expertise in Digital Signal Processing and Embedded Systems, with a global business perspective.
Encore has developed several wireless, mobile computing products based on modular, embedded appliance architecture with Linux as the operating environment. Encore's DSP technologies comprise multi-channel data and fax modems, data and fax relays, multi-channel speech coders and a range of VOIP Protocol Stacks conforming to industry standards. . Encore also developed the Simputer, a multi-lingual low-cost handheld computer which was named by Time magazine as one of the "Ten Technologies for You and the Planet," and the Sathi, an integrated battlefield handheld computer that is currently in use with the Indian Army.
Basing its business philosophy on a judicious blend of relentless innovation in technology with exceptional customer service and customizability options, Encore has notched up a venerable, global portfolio of OEM clients in the highly competitive markets of USA, Canada Germany, Finland, France, India, Israel, Japan, Korea and Malaysia, and Taiwan including some of the world's leading electronics, telecommunications & semiconductor manufacturers. Encore is surging ahead by positioning itself as a reliable provider of licensable enabling technologies that seamlessly plug into its customers' products and solutions.
About Dilip Chhabria Design Pvt. Ltd
DC Design, India's best-known automotive style and concept car fabrication house, was incorporated in 1993 at Mumbai for the purpose of providing design related services to the automotive industry.
To showcase the creativity and build up the track record, full blown customizing was the strategy adopted and this route has made possible the enormous brand equity DC Design has come about to leverage in India.
DC Design's experience in successfully handling varied product designs from the 100cc Honda motorcycle to the top line E class Mercedes Benz, has made it a global leader in automobile design. It is also through these experiences that DC Design led by Dilip Chhabria, an Art Centre alumni, has built up competency that is supported by 250 employees spread over two locations of 100,000 sq ft. The company's revenue is derived mainly from 4 streams - Design & Prototyping, Customizing, Lextran and DC Xclusives.
From: REVA-NXG Press Kit, Reva, 2005