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RAMCAR
Group of Companies has unveiled an electric car that its
new subsidiary EVnnovations would sell in the country.
“In
response to growing concerns over high oil prices,
global warming and the environment, the Ramcar Group is
set to introduce the first commercially available
electric car in the Philippines,” the company said in a
statement.
“We’re
still trying to get the feel of the demand so today’s
just a soft launch of sorts,” Ramon Agustines told the
BusinessMirror.
Agustines, president of Ramcar subsidiary Oriental and
Motolite Corp., said the electric car would be imported
as completely built-up units from India.
The
initial price is being set at P900,000.
Called
the REVAi, the bright red –it also comes in
silver–electric car displayed September 4 at the Asian
Institute of Management building is a compact hatch that
seats two adults. It is powered by eight 6-volt
lead-acid batteries and can reach a top speed of 80
kilometers per hour.
Agustines said the user just needs to plug the car into
any 15-amp 220-volt outlet, “the same way you charge
your mobile phone.”
The
batteries are fully charged in eight hours and will
allow the car to travel a maximum of 80 kilometers.
That,
the company said, is more than sufficient for the
average distance traveled daily by urban commuters.
It has
dent-proof body panels, steel-space frame with side
impact beams, driver and passenger seatbelts, and front
hydraulic disc brakes.
The
buyer, however, needs to shell out additional pesos for
an airconditioning system, music player, leather-wrapped
seats and central locking system, according to Ramcar.
The
REVAi was launched June in India, according to
Bangalore-based manufacturer Reva Electric Car Co. Pvt.
Ltd. Newspaper reports said the Indian government is
considering giving tax breaks to manufacturers of
electric and hybrid cars.
The RECC
website noted it will be selling the car in eight
countries; the Philippines was not mentioned.
Still,
Agustines said they would be launching the REVAi in the
country before the year ends.
However,
he could not cite target units for sale because “we
still don’t know the demand.”
Other
car manufacturers unveiled their electric cars during
the 2nd Philippine International Motor Show in August.
“Going into electric vehicle technology makes perfect
business sense for us,” a statement quoted Ramcar
executive Ernest Estrera as saying. |
