Reva creator Maini sees power shift for automobiles

NEW DELHI: As the world rues high fuel prices, the man behind India's first battery driven car Chetan Maini says electric cars will overtake their gasoline and diesel-powered counterparts over the next 15 years.

"If the oil prices keep rising at this pace, it could even happen much earlier," Maini, who is now deputy chairman and chief technical officer of Reva Electric Car Co that makes the battery-powered cars, told IANS in an interview.

"In the 1970s, we had the oil crisis, but there was no technology. In the 1980s and 1990s, we saw some good technology coming in, but oil was ruling at $15-$20 a barrel, and there was no environment consciousness," he said.

"But now, fuel prices are very high, the technology is ready and environment consciousness is at its peak. Never before in history has everything come together like this for electric cars. The future lies here," Maini added.

Commenting on G-Wiz, the name of his company's car for the British market, which is called REVAi in India, the mechanical engineer from the University of Michigan says the car enjoys several benefits.

"G-Wiz owners get a substantial subsidy on price, along with perks like free parking and charging points all over London," added Maini, who also has a post-graduate degree from Stanford, where he focussed on hybrid electric vehicles.

Even though only 2,500 units of REVAi have been sold so far in 13 countries - Britain accounting for 1,000 units - Maini is unperturbed, as rising crude prices and environmental issues hold out major hope for him.

"The chief minister of Delhi (Shiela Dikshit) is very supportive of the idea.

If we can start with the national capital, I'm sure other cities will follow suit," he said, referring to the support from the Delhi government for charging points for battery-powered cars.

To popularise the battery-operated car, the state government has also announced a 15-pc subsidy on its base price, 12.5 pc exemption of value-added tax, and a refund of road tax and registration charges.

As a result, the base model of the car will be priced at Rs.299,000 ($7,500), with a running cost of 40 paise (one cent) per km.

In Banglore, where the car was first launched in 2001, the idea is already taking shape, and many malls now have parking lots with charging facilities. Wipro also offers charging facilities at its office complex, he maintained.

Yet, Maini - who as team leader for the solar car project in the University of Michigan won the General Motors Sun Race - confesses that it wasn't environment consciousness that was the prime driver behind REVAi.

"I was more excited about the technology and what it could do," said the soft-spoken entrepreneur, whose team was also adjudged third for their solar car, which raced 3,000 miles across Australia a decade ago.

Maini, whose company is yet to break even, agrees that the competition now is hot for automobiles powered by alternative fuels, what with General Motors, Nissan and Mitsubishi having announced their plans to enter this segment.

"We, too, are gearing up and raring to go. We have $20 mn funding from the Global Environment Fund," he said, referring to the prestigious agency based out of Maryland in the US.

"We have also started overhauling the assembly line for our facility. By the end of the year we will have a capacity of 30,000 cars per annum."

A shorter six month Post Graduate Diploma in Product and Tool Design course is offered by Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT).The course has a broad academic spectrum which enables one to join both the automobile industry or companies dealing with consumer electronic goods.

“The eligibility criterion is a degree or diploma in mechanical, production or automobile engineering,” says Sachin Satpute, centre co-ordinator, MIT.

Courtesy: Economic Times of India

Transportation & automobile design

Transportation in India has been largely technology driven with little attention paid to consumer needs, energy conservation, cultural sensitivities and environmental concerns in automobile design. But with the transportation demand in India’s burgeoning economy growing rapidly, these factors are all set to play a crucial role.

Some of the premier institutes around the country have risen to the occasion and have introduced a number of transportation and automobile design courses.

The National Institute of Design (NID) offers a two-and-half-year postgraduate course in Transportation & Automobile Design. The course equips one to function as a professional designer in the transportation and automotive sector of the industry.

It helps professions develop an understanding of the socio-economic, cultural, ecological and environmental contexts of transportation design and ethical responsibilities of a professional designer.

They are trained to design not just automobiles but all mobility vehicles. “Our students are trained to design not just automobiles, but also water vessels, trucks and so on. They can plan bus stops, railway stations and even automobile related equipment,” says P. Vyas, mentor of the course.

NID’s design department has also recently setup a collaboration with the reputed Domus Academy of Milan, Italy offering an Integrated Degree at the post-graduate level.

Students will have the opportunity to avail of the partial scholarships being offered by Domus Academy exclusively to NID. This has been initiated with the aim of creating awareness and exposure to the students at an international level and further facilitating their learning and growth.

The placement opportunities too are promising. “Our students are lapped up by companies like General Motors, Tata, Maruti, TVS. We ensure hundred per cent placements,” says Vyas.The eligibility criterion is 10+2+4. That is, one should possess either a B.E, B.Tech or a B.Arch degree. The intake is limited with just ten students.