Mahindra e2o, the Reva's successor. Will it see light here in the PH?

I remember way back in 2009 when I was able to drive the first batch of electric vehicles from Reva (G-Wiz in the UK) at a motoring expo show. The car's designed didn't really wow me but the internals were the big factor of my decision to drive it around town.

To briefly explain to you how the Reva felt in the road, it was simply a silent mobile. Turn the ignition key to start and all gauge lights flash, then simply put the gear into drive and off it goes, very silently.
The airconditioning was particularly good and worth noting since most electric cars in the country doesn't offer such feature.

Now like any other small car, it shares the character of being happy to be driven around congested streets and squeezing into tight parking spaces. This two-door flare which works totally on electric energy and goes forward for 80 kilometers in one charge while reaching a maximum speed of 80 kilometers an hour. It can accommodate four people inside, two adults and two kids.

Now only if I have Php 900,000 pesos to spare and buy this car... I would be crazy.

The Reva probably died out on that same year. As the government clearly made halt of the e-car incentive, the company was hoping and waiting for it to happen four years ago. It would surely make it a jumpstart to market this car along with the Toyota Prius and the Honda CR-Z.

Now like I said before, the Reva isn't particularly good looking. It looks like a clown-car like most electric vehicles are. Yet surprisingly, a new model was released at the back of our minds and this new one is an improvement.

Meet the Mahindra e2o.

It now has the maintenance-free Li-ion batteries that gives it 100km range on a single charge. Charging time is significantly lesser, saving you three hours in every top up.

Inside the car is also a highlight of the future. Long gone are the analog gauges and say hello to the digital age they call as the driver information system display. This instrument panel display's your e2o's State of Charge, Distance to Empty, Drive Efficiency, and other vital information a driver may require.

One last thing worth noting with this car is the ability to connect it to your mobile phone. From the palm of your hands, you could control the e2o's air-conditioning and lock/unlock the car. You can even download the app that comes with the car for you to check on traffic updates and tweet it online.

Here are some technical details of the car

• 19 kW @ 3750 rpm, Torque 53 N-m @ (0-3400 rpm) 
• 48V maintenance-free Lithium-ion Battery
• Fully Automatic Transmission
• 155 / 70 R 13 Eco tires
• Length x Width x Height: 3280 mm x 1514 mm x 1560 mm
• 3.9m turning radius
• 81 kph Top Speed 
• 100 km range in one full charge
• Charging time 5 hours to full charge using a standard 220V 15 A socket

If only the government was supportive enough or even more to welcome electric vehicles in the country, we would be able to shed some light into this new product. Mahindra Philippines still has a long way to market their presence but i've already seen their trucks plying around the country. It shouldn't be all too that hard.