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India's First Electric Car: India's first electric car Lovebird was developed by Eddy Current Controls India Ltd. in 1993. And introduced by Yaskawa Electric, REVA later gained popularity in 2001. This car created a lot of discussion after its launch. But at that time there were many reasons due to which it could not survive in the market for long. However, some experts believe that Reva was India's first electric car.
New Delhi. The craze for electric cars is increasing rapidly all over the world including India. Almost all major automobile brands have launched their electric models in India. Among these, Mahindra and Tata have prepared a very large electric portfolio. But do you know that electric cars have not been launched in India yet. This journey is quite old. 32 years old, yes! You will be surprised to know that in the year 1993 i.e. 32 years ago, India's first electric car was presented for the first time in the Auto Expo. Eddy Current Controls (India) Ltd. Had prepared this car in collaboration with Yaskawa Electric Company of Japan.
First Electric Car: Lovebird
USP:
- It was a 2-seater car.
It gave a range of about 60 kilometers on full charge.
Its top speed was around 40-50 km per hour.
It took about 8 hours to get fully charged.
Why was it closed?
There were several main reasons behind Lovebird not being successful in India, lack of charging infrastructure: There were no charging stations in India at that time.
High input cost and low sales: At that time the technology of EV was in its initial stages. Due to this, the production cost was very high and its sales were also very low at that time, due to which the manufacturer had to stop its production.
Old Battery Technology: Lead-acid batteries were used in it, which were heavy and gave less range.
Electricity problem: In the 90s, there were frequent power cuts in many parts of India, due to which people were hesitant in buying electric vehicles.
Lack of government support: Initially the government had given subsidy, but later it was removed, due to which the price of the car increased further.
Another famous electric car:
Many people consider REVA to be India's first electric car, which was launched in 2001 and played an important role in popularizing electric cars. However, Lovebird (1993) had already come before that. It was considered a city car. It was specially designed for city traffic. Small size, great for tight turns and easy to maneuver. It introduced technologies like electric motor, battery management system and regenerative braking in India. REVA was one of the first Indian automotive products to be exported to more than 26 countries, earning it global recognition. Its success and shortcomings provided the basis for Mahindra to develop the e2o and subsequent all-electric models (e.g. eVerito), which later became Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited.