By IOL South Asia Correspondent

New Delhi, November 18 (IslamOnline) - Reva, claimed to be India’s first zero-polluting eco-friendly, battery driven car is finally out on the roads. Reva Electric Car Company recently launched 'Reva Classe’ in India.

The Bangalore-based car manufacturing company said that this is a family car for short drives and comfortably seats two adults and two children. 'Reva Classe’ is India’s first electric car with remote-controlled air-conditioning system, a top company official said on its launch.

The U.S. Amerigon Electric Vehicles Technology hold 35 percent of the company’s stake.

RECC managing director Chetan Maini said, “RECC has always striven to promote technology which is in harmony with environment and to introduce innovative products that interest the customer.”

Earlier, Reva was introduced in Bangalore in July 2001 and in Delhi in May 2002. After a 250,000 km ‘shaker’ test at the Automobile Research Association of India, the car hit Indian roads with a running cost of just 40 paisas [US$ 0.0083] per kilometer compared with smaller cars running on petrol costing rupees 2.50 [US$ 0.052] per kilometer.

RECC expects to roll out 1,500 of these electric vehicles (EVs) in the first year, and hopes to produce 12,000 EVs per year by 2004. More than 90 percent of the vehicle's 1,000 components will be manufactured in India.

The Power Pack used in Reva consists of eight 6 Volt EV type lead acid batteries. This Power Pack is housed beneath the front seats which lowers centre of gravity, increasing safety of passengers.

Two computers and the state-of-the-art electronics in the Reva provide an efficient energy management system with advanced computerised vehicle diagnostics.

The dent proof body panels are made of high impact ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)". This protects the body of Reva in the event of an inadvertent city skirmish with another vehicle.

Measuring 2,638 mm in length, with tall roofline, oversized wheels and flat windscreen (used to save costs) with core technology from Amerigon Electric Vehicles Technology (AE). The car is automatic without a clutch or gears.

A two-door hatchback, door handles and wing mirrors from Indo-Japanese small car, Maruti-800, thermo-framed instrument panel dispensed with curved glass and winding windows, its battery has an average life span of three to four years under normal city conditions.

On a single charge the car can be driven 80 kms and be charged using a 220, 15 amp power source. It has a payload capacity of 227 Kgs. A full battery charge takes up to seven hours. The car weighs 650 kilogram.

According to Maini, at present the car comes in three models and offers an option of as many as 2,000 color shades. Reva is priced at Rs 2,63,473 [US$ 5489], Reva A/C at Rs 2,88,038 [US$ 6000] and Reva Classe at Rs 3,18,032 [US$ 6625]. It is the cheapest electric car in the Indian market, he said.

In order to encourage eco-friendly mode of communication, the federal ministry of non-conventional energy sources has given a subsidy of Rs 75,000 [US$ 1562] on the purchase of Reva Classe to public institutions.