General Motors, Reva to Collaborate on Electric Car for India Based on Chevy Spark

General Motors and India's Reva Electric Car announced today that they will jointly produce a battery-powered vehicle for South Asia based on the Detroit carmaker's best-selling mini-car, the Chevrolet Spark (pictured).

Under the alliance, GM will provide the vehicle platform and manufacturing facilities for the zero-emissions car, which will begin production next year, while Reva will supply the technology for the battery, electric drivetrain and power management systems.

They did not provide forecasts for production, but GM has the capacity to produce 225,000 vehicles of all types at its two plants in India and has plans to scale up its factory in Maharashtra state by an additional 160,000 vehicles.

GM, which is also due to launch its plug-in Chevrolet Volt in the U.S. next year, joins a growing list of the world's major carmakers that are due to launch electric cars over the next three years as part of their carbon-cutting strategy.

Some, including Japan's Mitsubishi Motors, have already launched them.

Last week at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault announced that it was launching four electric vehicles in 2011-12. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz showed planned battery-powered luxury models.

Reva, controlled by the Bangalore-based Maini Group India, is one of the first companies to sell electric vehicles on a large scale; it did so with its G-Wiz model. The Reva sells for $7,260 in India and $12,060) in the U.K.

Separately from its deal with GM, Reva is building a factory in Bangalore with a planned capacity of 30,000 vehicles, which would make it one of the world's largest pure-electric carmakers.

GM and Reva have already spent 10 months developing an electric version of the Spark, which they expect to be launched at "highly affordable" prices.

Posted by

Scott Doggett September 24, 2009, 3:58 PM

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