India's Iconic Electric Car Gets Energized. By Rina Chandran, Reuters, September 17, 2008. "Long before 'green' cars became trendy in other parts of the world, a boxy electric two-seater began rolling out of a small factory in the Indian city of Bangalore, which was then emerging as a software services hub. Today, scores of Reva electric carscan be seen tootling down Bangalore's crowded streets, their bright colors and minimalist design drawing curious looks, even smiles, from commuters... Reva Electric Car Co was set up in 1994... By 2001, it had built its first all electric car... But its high price, nearly 25 percent more than entry-level cars, found few takers in India where low-end cars hold sway. So Maini began exporting the Reva to the United Kingdom... where it is branded G-Wiz... [and to] Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Spain and Sri Lanka. It is also being test marketed for applications such as mail trucks in Australia, Austria, Germany and the United States... Reva received $20 million in 2006 from [the venture capital firm] Draper Fisher Juvertson and the Global Environment Fund, but little by way of incentives or subsidies in India. The funding has helped add dealers in India and double output to 30,000 units, of which more than half is exported."
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