[Sutripta]

Who is the battery manufacturer?

Regards
Sutripta

[Mpower]

Interesting article that offers another POV on this hotly debated topic

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/in...-power-station

Although I must point out that the author is not aware that the 40% efficiency of the diesel is a peak number. Everyday numbers are quite a bit lower

[jacs]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Added some more info into the review:

• Mahindra says they have tested the battery for more than 120,000 kms and 'still the performance is excellent'.
• The battery pack capacity is 10 kwh.
• Mahindra says the battery pack should last for 5-7 years and its difficult to predict what the price of the battery will be when the time comes to replace it.
• The car warranty (excluding battery) is 3 years / 36000 kms. (Thats just 6,000 kms more than the battery pack warranty).
• Sun2 car price range is Rs 1 - 1.6 lakh.

cya
R

Atleast 5 years life is a must considering the cost of battery and its hiking every year. Usually Mahindra products show off very good warranty tenures, not sure why they are not so confident with EV range. Hope they have AMC options for extending peace of mind after 3rd year.

[honeybee]

Is each replacement battery pack with its own warranty?

I don't know if the Li-Ion even made to the earlier Reva, though I remember there were plans for the same.

One of the advantages of the ABS body panels, and lack of any other fluids, is picking up a used Reva would not be as complicated as picking up any used traditional car. No fear of rusting body panels, no fear of an abused engine, no expenses to replace all fluids (except maybe the brake oil).

If Reva (or Mahindra Reva now) can fit the Li-Ion battery pack into an existing Reva, it would make a very good argument to go and pick up a used Reva, if one was available. Or make the old Reva available to those who don't want four seats and a high price tag.

On another note, I had heard a few years back (also read in the newspapers) that Toyota Kirloskar Motors (or probably the Kirloskar part of it) had come up with a kit to convert the traditional ICE car into a hybrid by adding an electric motor. I had even dashed off an email to them then, offering my car as a test mule if need be. However nobody seems to know anything about the same.

[Deo]

It is a month now since the launch at Delhi, any idea of the response in the market ? Dr Goenka mentioned that it has been disappointing as compared to initial expectation of 300-400 bookings for the first month. I doubt if there have been any bookings outside Delhi, conisdering the lack of incentive.

[hkollar]

Originally Posted by honeybee

If Reva (or Mahindra Reva now) can fit the Li-Ion battery pack into an existing Reva, it would make a very good argument to go and pick up a used Reva, if one was available.

This is not possible. Li-Ion has different kind of charging characteristics and also needs cooling while charging to extend battery life.

[captvicky]

After long I ve come across such a comprehensive yet simple review. I must say good work Rehan.
The e2o marks the actual beginning of electric car in terms of commercial selling as with it's branding it will reach out to more buyers, where the Reva failed to do so.
The only dampener is the price. Hope That the state government reduces the applicable taxes not only on this but on future cars,so that other car makers follow suit. Cheers

[saket77]

Great review by Rehaan. I am amazed how well M&M are shaping up themselves. They have a great vision coupled with focus & determination to get things done...and that's what making the difference. Also, great to know about the good fit & finish quality which should be a lesson to TML.

Only if M&M can bring down the cost of the car a little bit and of the replacement batteries, it should become a great practical car for city use. BTW, which company manufactures the batteries for the car?

Regards,
Saket

[neeld]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

The Mahindra e2o has been launched in India at a price of between Rs. 5.95 - 6.25 Lakhs (on-road Delhi).

Recently a Mahindra dealer in Delhi quoted me below prices for e2o:

Base: Rs. 6.5 Lakhs (on-road Delhi)
Top: Rs. 6.8 Lakhs (on-road Delhi)

On asking them about revised/higher price, they stated - prices on website and at launch were pre-budget prices .

[rajeev k]

The e20 is a stunner look wise. Would have been a super hit had the range is 150 KM plus. One of my neighbour is getting the car shortly and he sounded ecstatic talking about it.
Another good point is that the car looks like a miniaturized Mahindra Xylo 5OO from the sides. The Xylo design philosophy is visible all around and is an admirable feature from the Reva days.

[Speed.Demon]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

The e20 is a stunner look wise. Would have been a super hit had the range is 150 KM plus. One of my neighbour is getting the car shortly and he sounded ecstatic talking about it.

+1 to that.

I'm hugely interested in this car as well. Would love to check out the car when your neighbour gets his hands on it.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Deo

It is a month now since the launch at Delhi, any idea of the response in the market ? Dr Goenka mentioned that it has been disappointing as compared to initial expectation of 300-400 bookings for the first month.

I believe the government has restored the incentives on electric cars, though I am not 100% sure. The earlier incentive policy had lapsed, and it took at least a year or so for the government to revise/revive it.

Mahindra recently carried a full-front page ad (front as well as back side) on the e2o. Along with the product positioning, it will be important to see how Mahindra can ramp up the charging station infrastructure. One right move in this direction is to set up charging points at Mahindra dealerships. I guess every 80km distance should find you at least one Mahindra dealership?

e2o should join the Nano in the adventure category, in the sense that we might see a travelogue of an e2o going to various places.

Originally Posted by hkollar

This is not possible. Li-Ion has different kind of charging characteristics and also needs cooling while charging to extend battery life.

It should be similar to changing the engine of a vehicle. The whole battery pack and charging system (and if required the motor) would be replaced. So I don't see this as an obstacle.

[Perakath]

What a great review! Completely sold me on the car and made me lose interest in the CR-V review I was planning to read after this.

As others have said, range would be my primary concern if I were considering this car... 80 km may be sufficient for an ordinary day in the city, but it doesn't leave enough of a buffer for sudden unforeseen trips / emergencies. What if I suddenly had to make a cross-city trip and there wasn't enough charge in the batteries? I tolerate such uncertainties with my smartphone battery, but in a car (especially if it's the only car available / in the family) it just seems too much of a risk to take.

The option of having spare and user-replaceable batteries would go a long way in reducing this concern. The spare batteries could be charged on the side and could even be carried in the car as luggage on a day when long use is apprehended.

Originally Posted by supertinu

Mahindra has not taken a half hearted or a step motherly approach to it. They definitely have put in all the effort/resources to come up with a serious product that people will be willing to buy over numerous hatchback options

+1

[rjalihal]

Nice review! The car looks modern and I simply love the HUD on this. Also the Boost mode is a huge feature as the difference in acceleration and top speed compared to the regular mode was pretty vast. I really wish that the government takes Electric Cars more seriously and offers tax waivers and other rebates like they do in EU nations.
But still, for a sticker price of Rs 7.4 lakhs (Bangalore), I would rather plant a couple of trees to do my part in saving the environment!

Cheers!
Rohan

[civicsense]

Took a test ride a few hours ago. A few points I noted:

1. I expected a bit of a learning curve, but in the end it was a lot easier than that.

2. To start with, the non-assisted steering was heavy while taking it out of the parking lot. But progressively I got used to it even at low speeds

3. Acceleration was sadate in "F" mode. "B" mode made is better. Again no comparison to even my 12 year old Matiz

4. Breaking was a bit, err, unusual, maybe because of the regenerative part of it. It would not slow down much immediately, but after a moment it would slow down more than you would expect - guess this taking a bit of getting used to.

5. The car is a proper 4-seater - ample leg and shoulder space back and front. Access to the rear is a problem - not something a 65 year old would relish much.

6. "real-world" mileage on a single charge is apparently 90+ in city conditions

7. There are 103 charging points in Bangalore as of today. All are *FREE*. They are being placed in Pizza Huts, MAlls, coffee shops, office buildings etc. An hour's charging while you take a bite will give you about 30-40km worth of juice.

8. They are going to set up some "quick charge" stations where the battery can be charged 100% in 1 hr. This will be on a chargeable basis - maybe 50-60 Rs per full charge.

9. On- road price in Bangalore is 7.31L for T0 & 7.67L for T2

10. There is 0 subsidy that Karnataka govt provides today. Road tax is much lower though - about 4.5% compared to 14% for other hatchbacks.

11. I was very impressed with the dash console, the touch screen etc in the T2 model. GPS is pre-installed and it showed the nearest charging point and I could navigate to it. Feature-wise, this is far better than my Civic!! Heck, it even has Hill-Assist, and it works!

12. Plastics quality - dash and door cladding - was quite bad in the test car. I expected better quality interiors after reading this review, maybe it was just the test car...

At 7.67L it takes a mighty lot of thinking to convince oneself to buy the e2o in Bangalore. In Delhi, at around 6.4L, it would be a slightly easier choice to make.

I feel Mahindra should have a scheme where it lets potential buyers hire the car for a week or two, at a cost, use it in real life for a reasonable period, see how it fits into their schedule, and then take a decision to buy it.