Thinking EVs out of the ‘Box’

Among the big exhibitors at the Auto Expo in Greater Noida last month was  a relatively small and simple stall of a Bangalore-based electric vehicle (EV) start-up company called Revolta Motors.

Interestingly, the partners – Vijay K Praveen (41) and Rajesh Vishwanathan (43) – do not have any automotive background. One is an architect and the other, an electronics  engineer. What they are striving for is to develop innovative solutions by ‘radically re-thinking a century-old automobile industry’ as the company’s website reads. The stall’s backdrop said ‘Better and Different’ along with the Revolta name. Can’t say without testing whether the products are better, but they definitely are different.

What's more different is a concept which wants to be India's first cargo carrier on two wheels. Named Magic Box, the concept features a 24-inch square space with a capacity to carry 100 kilograms and is driven by a 3kW motor. According to Rajesh Vishwanathan, partner, Revolta Motors, the vehicle can be driven for 60 kilometres at a speed of up to 60kph on full charge. An integrated digital instrument cluster and GPS connectivity are being planned for the vehicle, which is still under development. It is aimed for applications like courier delivery, first responder ambulance, food delivery and industrial material movement. Revolta plans to launch it in 2017.

The second product is also planned for a 2017 launch. This unconventional looking two-wheeler is named UFO (Urban Fun Object). It shares the same 3kW high-torque rear hub motor and lithium ion battery technology with the Magic Box, but it has higher top speed (70kph) and longer riding range (80km) per full charge. The specifications of both these electric vehicles are likely to change as the team is still fine-tuning the products.

“We will come up with unique concepts rather than build conventional vehicles. There are a couple more in the pipeline,” Vijay K Praveen, founder director, Revolta Motors, told Autocar Professional. A single-seater two-wheeler powered by a 250W motor and a three-wheeler for applications like surveillance are part of the product plans that are in the pipeline. It won't be surprising if a 'unique' four-wheeler concept also joins the Revolta stable.

Revolta Motors is one of the projects incubating at the Science and Technology Park in Pune, which is promoted by The National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board under the government of India's Department of Science and  Technology.

Revolta Motors is only a couple of years old. Till recently it was a team of two members;  a third member has joined now. Vijay has quit his job at engineering services provider CAE Technology. He admires the maiden product of another Bangalore-based electric vehicle start-up Ather Energy unveiled recently.

Soliciting Investors

With a new partner and enhanced focus, Vijay and his partners are now aiming to bring out products that could make the electric vehicle industry in India, more interesting. A crucial need is yet to be met. Revolta Motors is looking for investors to fund its plans.