Bangalore: Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) today (Dec 9, 2003) announced that it has bagged an order to export 500 electric cars to the United Kingdom.

The Bangalore-based electric car firm, which recently received the European Economic Community (EEC) certification, will begin sales of the car in the UK from January, Reva managing director Chetan Maini told reporters in Bangalore.

"We have just started to deliver and continue for the next nine months. It is going for sale early next year," he said.

Reva, the first electric car from India, will be sold as "G-WIZ" by Going Green Ltd, an environment solutions firm in the UK, where tax benefits are provided for an electric car.

G-WIZ, with new features for the European market like climate control seats and remote control heating, would be sold at a significant premium over the Rs 3.22 lakh price tag in India.

Maini said Reva has sold over 600 cars in India, with Bangalore accounting for over 300 cars since 2001.

RECC is a joint venture between the Maini Group, which holds 74 per cent and American-based AEV LLC, which holds 26 per cent.

"The nearest electric car globally is at least two to three times costlier than Reva," Maini said, adding that the company was leveraging on India's cost effective manufacturing to make the car affordable in the international market.

Last year in the UK, he said, 8.75 lakh of the 2.5 million cars sold were small cars and European consumers were becoming environmentally concerned.

PTI