My companion, all of 6 ft 3" in his shoes, got into the car, switched on the computer, and we were ready to drive into the thick, thoughtless, thoroughly chaotic traffic of Bangalore. As the little car weaved in and out of traffic, people looked sideways at the cutie on the road, "With an electric car, you're not just driving a car, you're engaged in the most intelligent travel system," says my companion. "And it's not just another car…it has a character that makes heads turn." Hmm, good marketing talk, I agreed, and looked at the heavily dented, huge car in front of us.
My fears of being cocooned in a little car that masquerades as a computer sent my BP shooting up. How can a little lightweight car hold its own in front of mean Goliath-like trucks and buses on the city roads?
Let's face it, women are more apprehensive about driving cars than men are. Even as a card-carrying feminist I have to confess that if there is one thing I have never wanted to do, it is to take the wheel. Happy to be in the passenger seat, and that's the way to be-e-e, I like to sing. But sadly many of my sisters out there do not have a choice. "I have to drive to work every day," says Saroja Rao, a photographer. "I hate begging auto-drivers to take me here and there, and I carry a very heavy bag. And even though the traffic is awful, and the parking worse, I just have to be my own driver.”
Enter the turtle. The Bangalore-made REVA electric car is a small car that is easy to drive and needs very little parking space. "And electric vehicles are non-polluting," says Chhaya Sheth, social worker, interior designer and counsellor. "I never have to go to the petrol bunk!"
While the best of petrol and diesel cars still add to air pollution, electric vehicles are non-polluting. A fully charged electric car can run between 45 and 80 km without any trouble. Specially suited for city commuting, the average cost per kilometre is 40 paise. At a conservative calculation, this would mean that the money you spend to do 80 km on an electric car is the same that you would spend while idling at traffic junctions in a petrol car!
Electric vehicles (EV) are a common sight in European countries. Recognising their strengths, several governments in Europe have free parking for EVs, and have made them tax-free. In India, the REVA has not yet caught the attention of pollution watch officials. This makes the initial cost of the EV formidable.
But long-time users are certain that the savings in terms of fuel and maintenance more than make up for the higher initial cost.
Just when I'd decided that the little electric car was the best gift to the city woman, my friend Geeta told me this sad story. "Akash bought me the REVA as a gift and bought himself a handsome SUV. He said he couldn't see himself driving a tiny car. One day he had to borrow my car, and ever since he has been using it to commute to office. What a thief!"
