The lithium-ion battery provides decent power to this rear-wheel-drive (RWD) car. Even while driving during the rush hours I managed to keep up with the hugger-mugger traffic. The overall feel of the drive is decent, but you have to put the e2o into the ‘boost’ mode every time in order to overtake vehicles. I did manage to gun the car on an empty stretch and, having planted my feet firmly on the pedal, could achieve 80 km/h.
What caught my attention while driving the car was its unique ‘Hill Hold’ feature which helped me in those moments of anxiety while tackling steep inclines. The brakes are decent and, thanks to regenerative braking, the car manages to charge the battery on its own.
However, just like a coin even this car has two sides. Let’s face it, the e2o is not as practical as some of the other everyday hatches on sale today are. For instance, its batteries have a limited range, the car is slightly underpowered, and, sadly, the build quality is somewhat poor even by Mahindra standards. Nevertheless, it was my first experience of driving an EV and I had fun driving it.
If I were to arrive at a conclusion, I would put it this way: the Reva e2o is an affordable, eco-friendly hatchback and is targeted at those who would like the idea of owning and driving an EV without worrying about the ever-rising fuel prices. It’s as simple as that.
