The curious case of Gujarat's 'green sportscar'

Ahmedabad based Golden Arrow Wireless Pvt Ltd showcased an electric sportscar prototype at the Auto Show Gujarat 2014. Named the Supernova Electric Vehicle (SNEV), the production plans for the green car are already in progress. According to Shashi Vyas, founder of Golden Arrow Wireless, the company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Madhya Pradesh government to set up a manufacturing plant.

Vyas stated that the car will be offered with a choice of 3 batteries- lead acid, lithium ion and super-capacitors. The lead acid battery supposedly has a charge time of 8 hours. The lithium ion batteries and super capacitors have a claimed charge time of 2 hours & under 5 minutes respectively. The car is said to have been developed at the company's plant in Aslali, Ahmedabad. The SNEV can hit a claimed top speed of 150 km/h. However, the brow raiser was the tall claim of a 1000 km range.

The claimed charge time for some of the battery types and stated range would make the SNEV almost as convenient to run as a regular petrol car. This is exactly why it is hard to believe these statements would hold true in the real world.

The Tesla Model S for example needs 20 minutes to provide a 50% charge through its high speed supercharging stations. The claimed range for the Model S is 275 miles (Around 440 kms) at a speed of 65 mph (105 km/h). This begs the question "At what speed does the SNEV have to be driven to achieve the 1000 kms range?" The prototypes themselves appear to be rather crudely made with an ample number of panel gaps and inconsistencies throughout the bodywork. This also raises questions on whether the final product will be safe to drive. The showcased vehicles may have been prototypes, but they do not give the impression of a sportscar that is anywhere near ready for mass production.

Vyas added that the company wants to set up production facilities in Raipur, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Gujarat. Golden Arrow has supposedly raised Rs 500 crore from investors for the project & will require around Rs 2500 crore to set up the manufacturing facilities. Vyas also stated that the SNEV has accrued 250 bookings & deliveries can begin at the end of 2015 if the ARAI approval goes through.

Currently, the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) does not have any set guidelines for electric sportscars. The ARAI is in talks with the centre to set up the framework for such vehicles. Once on sale the SNEV could be priced between Rs 15-25 Lakh.

Looking for an Indian Sportscar? Take a look at the DC Avanti.

Images courtesy: The Brunei Times