+ Click to Enlarge SHAPE OF COMMUTING TO COME: Petrolheads be afraid, be very afraid. Something like this Reva NXG concept could be the company car of the future. ARGGGHH!

April 15, 2005

London, England - The Indian-conceived and built Reva NXG concept battery car was unveiled in London this week and described as "the future of city mobility" by the MD of its British distributors. A scary thought indeed…

The car, assembled by the Reva Electric Car Company in Bangalore, was shown at the 21st Worldwide Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition in Monaco earlier this month.

A company called GoinGreen has been flogging a previous model, the Reva G-Wiz, in London for almost a year and more than 200 have buzzed out of his showroom despite zero advertising.

Its MD, Keith Johnston, said: "The G-Wiz is the world's best-selling electric car because it has an unbeatable combination of low cost and emissions-free exhaust.. The car, with its stylish design and superior performance, gives us an exciting glimpse into the future of city mobility."

The new Reva NXG was a collaborative effort between RECC, body designer Dilip Chhabria of and Simputer developer Encore Software. It's a two-seater roadster with an extended range of about 200km (after a six-hour charge) and a top speed of 120km/h.

It's only 2.62m long and 1.55m high but 1.64m wide.

Chhabria has worked for Ford and Toyota and was involved in the prototype design of the new Aston Martin V8 Vantage as well as projects for Honda and Mercedes-Benz.

The NXG's power comes from sodium nickel chloride batteries feeding a 37kW/220Nm alternating current induction motor that drives the front wheels. The all-independent suspension contains a regenerative and hydraulic braking system – means it part-charges the batteries as it brakes.

The concept car also has what is believed to be the world's first "wireless tablet" - an embedded appliance containing a high-resolution, touch-screen display for all fascia functions as well as a GPS navigation system, a GPRS modem for Internet and email access, and an MP3 music player.