I was wondering where to begin, the need to have a space where electric vehicles can be flaunted is a need of the hour. With the rising environmental concerns, climate change and the pollution levels Green is the future of every industry.

The first green car in India, the REVA electric car was launched in June 2001 in Bangalore. It is currently sold in six cities in India and exported to UK and Malta. The company claims the car is being test marketed in US, Nepal, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Israel, Japan, Norway and China.

A city like Mumbai would see a lot of people driving this little car, although what I would really like is the future model of this green vehicle, the Reva NXG that was launched at EVS 21 in Monaco in April 2005.

REVA-NXG is a two-seater roadster with an extended range of 200 kilometers per charge and a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. The car is powered by a high performance 37 kW AC induction motor that drives the front wheels, and uses Sodium Nickel Chloride batteries in lieu of conventional lead acid batteries for extended life. This virtually makes the current REVA obsolete as it has a top speed of 65 kmph and a range of only 80 km.

The REVA-NXG comes with 4-wheel independent suspension with integrated regenerative and hydraulic braking system to provide superior handling and braking. The car also comes fitted with a wireless tablet, with a high-resolution touch-screen display system that monitors all vehicle dashboard functions such as Speed, State-of-Charge, Range and critical sensor inputs.

But more than that it offers personal communication tools such as GPS-based in-vehicle navigation, a GPRS Modem for internet and e-mail, and MP3 music. All this in a tiny bundle that will cause no damage to the environment! What more could an Eco geek ask for? More affordability, the REVA is quite steep on the pocket at Rs. 3.4 lakhs, but perhaps in the long run and keeping in mind the current prices of oil its difficult to rule it out as a smart option.