REVA

REVA is actually a car! A pioneer for the electric vehicle technologies and one of the first to introduce electric vehicles worldwide might I add. The company was founded in 1994 as REVAi Electric Car Company. It was a joint venture between the Maini Group of Bangalore and America's AEV-LLC. But the company was then bought over in May 2010 by the USD 7.1 billion worth Indian Automobile giants; Mahindra Group. The REVAi electric vehicle was launched in Bangalore in 2001 and in London in 2004, in London, it was launched under the name G-Wiz brand. In September 2009 at the Frankfurt Auto Show the company unveiled two new cars, the 4 seat REVAi NXR and the 2 seat REVAi NXG. Now I've seen these cars on the road recently and I can guarantee you no petrol head Italian is going to buy the car. So why am I still talking about it? Read on...

"Today REVA has one of the largest deployed fleets of electric cars in the global market and the accumulated data from more than 100 million km from user experience. The company’s electric vehicle platforms, technologies and regional vehicle assembly are offered under license. A new factory with a capacity of 30,000 units per year is scheduled for completion end 2011. The REVA has 300 employees and is headquartered at the Bommasandra Industrial Area in Bangalore, India, next to Electronic City, one of the world's technology hubs. In 2006 REVAi was acclaimed by Business World India as one of India’s “Cool Companies” and in 2008 was the recipient of the Frost & Sullivan Automotive Power train Company of the Year award. In 2010 Overdrive, CNBC and TV 18 awarded the REVAi as Green Car of the Year" ~ REVA Website

B I N G O... Green Car Of The Year. We go on and on today about how the price petroleum is sky rocketing and here's your option to stop cursing the government. There's always that speculation that fossil fuel is not going to sustain forever so why stay dependent on it? Plus, giving mother nature a helping hand clean up earth is always a cool option!

Here are some mind blowing factors about the Reva:

Economical:
In comparison to any petrol run car, the REVA only cost half of the expenses to sustain and giving you great miles!

Transmission:
The REVA is fully automatic. Perfect if you’re uncomfortable with the idea of wrestling with gears.

Exhaust:
No tailpipe at all!! Making it a zero emissions vehicle on the road

Noise:
Whisper quiet operations. The REVAi motor emits no more than a barely audible hum. Even at top speed.

Maneuverability:
The REVAi has a turning radius of just 3.5 mtrs. Which means you can carve your way through city traffic just as easily as you can park.

Charging:
The REVAi is as easy to charge as your mobile phone. Just park & plug

Safe:
Dent-proof ABS body panels, side-impact beams, a steel space frame and dual-braking system, frontal crush zone, low center of gravity

Intelligent:
Two onboard computers and remote diagnostic capabilities enable quick vehicle analysis and prompt service

Spacious:
Rear seats fold, providing extra luggage room

Tubeless Tyres:
Special tubeless tyres enhance driving range and provide an improved road grip

Easy Ingress and Egress:
Wide doors and high seating position provide convenient entry and exit

Extra comforts:
Remote hatch release, 4 speed blower, adjustable Head-rest

Rear seat belts:
Ensures your child's safety

Automatic Hill holding:
For slope negotiation

Disc brakes:
Sure braking. Regenerative braking puts energy back in your batteries

Dimensions:
Length - 2638 mm
Width - 1324 mm
Height - 1510 mm
Ground clearance - 150 mm
Wheel base - 1710 mm
Turning radius - 3.5 m
Curb Weight - 700 kg

Technical Specifications:
Type: Two-door hatchback
Payload: Two adults & two children (227 kg)
Top speed: 80 km/hr
Charge Time: 80% charge in 2.5 hours (100% in 8 hours)
Integrated Power System - Motor : High torque (52 Nm), AC Induction motor, 3 phase 13 kW peak
Controller : 350 Amp microprocessor based with regenerative braking
Charger : 220 V, 2.2 kW, requiring a 15 A socket
EMS : Microprocessor-based battery management system; Power Pack : 48 V, 200 Amp-hr, EV lead acid batteries

I'll give this car the 'thumbs-up'....

A TOSCC Quick Tip

Don't you just sometimes want to slap the person who brags to you about how he just drove 300km and only used up a quarter of his fuel tank? And here you are waiting a petrol kiosk to refuel after driving just 200km....

So here are some simple tips to make you car go the distance:

1. At highway speeds, do you know that the wind outside is quite cool and refreshing. And did you know that by running the ac, you car consumes more power, hence more fuel is needed to push the car forward. Try this, turn off the ac and turn on the ventilators. Cool fresh air into your cabin and you'll be saving fuel! Of course don't forget to turn off the ventilators when you're following a diesel engine truck puffing fumes!

2. Stick to the speed limit. Cause chances are if you're flying down the highway faster than everyone else, you're going to be stuck behind a lot of cars and revving down and changing gear is just going to burn up more fuel. Stay in good limited speed and in high gear. Cruise along the way...

3. Turn off all unnecessary power equipment. So enhance the power moving to your drive train and not else where...

Try these 3 simple steps and you too can be one of those people bragging about how economic your car is!

Castrol Engine Service Promotional Package

Hello there,
Greetings from The One Stop Car Consultant (TOSCC)..!

We at TOSCC are proud to introduce to you a new promotional package from Castrol to lessen your burden when servicing your car. Quite often when I check with my clients why they skipped a service, they answer me by saying they couldn't afford it at the time. Either some other expenses came up or the service charges were ridiculously high.

Fear no more. We are here to make things cheaper for you and of course with no compromise on the quality of parts and workmanship.

The promotion comes with a stamp card and requires you to service your car with us for 5 consecutive times. Here is how the promotion works;

Service 1
Routine car service

Service 2
Routine car service
With 15% off on Engine Oil (4 ltr Castrol Magnatec)

Service 3
Routine car service
With 50% off on Tyre Alignment & Balancing

Service 4
Routine car service

Service 5
Routine car service
With free Engine Oil (4 ltr Castrol Magnatec)

Terms & Conditions:
1. TOSCC reserves the rights to amend the promotional details at any time without prior notice.
2. This promotion is only valid for each client at one car at a time.
3. Clients have to use all Castrol promotion fluids and parts.
4. This promotion is only valid for limited time only.

So hurry now and get in touch with us for this bargain on engine service!!!

The 5 Big No-No’s To Do To Your Car...

1. The Huge Rear Wing
By far the ugliest thing I’ve seen on the road is a GT wing on an under powered road car. The rear wing is a body part designed to give high speed cars more down force to prevent over steer. We’re talking about cars like those in the Open-wheel Formula, like F1 and GP2 race cars. So in my personal opinion; to see a GT wing on a Proton Iswara or Toyota Vios, is a nightmare!

2. The Blue Lights
There are reasons why there are lights on the front and rear of the car; necessity. But to have lights all around your car in my opinion says you’re desperate for attention (sorry, didn’t mean to hurt your feelings). Look, Kit from Knight-Rider was cool, but your Proton Satria isn’t. So no matter how many neon lights you have under, over, around or inside your car, it’ll never be Kit.

3. The Deafening Exhaust
If your car isn’t packing a mean punch, then why make all that ruckus for nothing? The most annoying thing on the road (other than the Mat Rempits) is to hear a Kancil go nowhere. Why oh why do you need a muffler so huge you can fit an actual baby in it? Worst of all, the engine inside that little noise maker is only an 800cc Daihatsu pace-maker! My rule is simple; if it ain’t a GTi then I don’t want to hear it!

4. The Dragster Tyres
This you see only on Proton Saga’s and Wira’s and quite frankly I have no clue what’s the motivation behind it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about; dragsters back in the 50’s had huge radial tyres for more grip so they can bolt off the line. Now those were powerful V8 engines packing almost 300bhp in it so why would a 85bhp car needs tyres and elevated suspensions, I have no clue. Those out there who these on might not want to hear this, but they’re quite an ugly sight.

5. The Dark Tint
Well the reason this takes the last on the list is because it’s still quite okay to look at. I’ll be honest; some cars with dark tints do look bloody sexy. So why did this make the list in the first place you ask? Safety reasons. Imagine following a car with a dark tint, you can’t see anything that’s going on ahead of this car. It is very important to not only keep a look out on the car ahead but also what’s happening a few cars beyond it. So the next time you think about tinting your car as though its an FBI vehicle carrying the President of the United States; don't!

(Of course this is purely the opinion of The One Stop Car Consultant and in no way prejudice to all you car owners out there. Peace)

Drive safe!

Tour De France

I recently had the opportunity to get behind the wheels of Frances’ pride and joy; the Peugeot. After a very long silent era, I have to say these French Lions have made a roaring come-back. I’m not too sure if it was all those ‘Taxi’ movies that have really inspired them to search for that ‘Need For Speed’ instinct that they had back in the mid-80s’ when Peugeot dominated the GT, Touring and Rally divisions.

Peugeot has released the all new premium version of the 407, which in my opinion isn’t impressive. The only difference between the premium and stock is that it comes with an additional built in GPS and leather seats. None the less; I did take that mother out for a spin. The car seems to be longer in wheel-base in comparison to her rivals of the same range; the Honda Civic, the Toyota Altis, the Mitsubishi Lancer and the Nissan Sylphy (there is a reason why I personally think THESE are the only rivals the car has in Malaysia). But even though longer the car has a better turning radius than any of its rivals. Two safety features on the 407 did however impress me. The first was that if you had to jam you brakes, the car will automatically turn on its hazard lights till you get the car going once again. The second, the power windows has anti pinch power windows. For all you car-retards out there; this is a newly developed system to prevent you winding your windows up while someone has their finger or some other body part sticking out of the window. Cool eh?

Okay, now on to more impressive things; the Peugeot 308 turbo. Don’t even bother going for the 308 VTi, it’s absolutely rubbish! The 308 Turbo is a rocket on wheels and it comes in a blood red color! The car is heavy, it is stable, turns like its on rails and best of all, gets off the line like it’s on Viagra! I didn’t feel like I was in a Peugeot for a brief moment. Felt like I was behind the wheel of a Golf GTi. Okay, no, not exactly that powerful but you know what I’m talking about.

Now I’m saving the best news for last! The Peugeot, well now marketed and distributed by Naza Corporation is only going for RM129K for the 407 and RM114K for the 308 Turbo. Even better news is that the maintenance is now 75% cheaper than before. So imagine, driving an affordable continental car and it cost the same to maintain a Japanese car! Of course, yes, you can forget about that fuel efficiency and all that Japanese conservation crap but imagine the European power under the hood!

360° Gorgeous

Gorgeous indeed and I’m not talking about the tall blonde German I met last night anymore. I’m talking about the Volkswagen Passat CC that I took for a spin this afternoon! Look out C Class, there’s a new sheriff in town. I was recently inspired by someone to go check this car out; previously I had only tested the older Passat about two years ago. This 4 cylinder, 2.0I TSI turbocharged with direct injection system is a force to reckon with.

Let’s talk exterior first; something about the front grill says Lexus all over it and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I love the Lexus! With the trademark VW insignia firmly at the center of the front chrome grill sandwiched between the Passat’s stylish headlamps. The headlamps although only come with Bi-xenon beams but it has a featured with a blast from the past; headlamp washer system. Put it all together; it’s a view that keeps you wanting more. A dash sleekness, a touch elegance and little taste of the devil. That’s my take on it. Another distinctive feature the Passat has is the CLS door trims, with the slender windows and slightly taller door frame but it comes with an advantage; frameless door trims, that is bitchin’ sexy…! The 18’ Interlagos rims aren’t my cup of tea and there’s a valid reason behind it; the Passat comes with a 1.8T DS7 version and those babies come with a 5 spoke rim that’s more my style. The rear of the car lacks in no way either; with its curved lip like spoiler above the trunk hood giving it the sports sedan look. To finish it all off, there is a chrome trim circling the car; very Continental Luxury car like!

The Passat left me salivating just from bodywork but little did I know, the interior was going to blow my mind! Full soft leather finishing, from the dash to the door panel, suitable for the Malaysian weather. A lot of these foreign luxury cars come with leather that tends to melt with the Asian heat; it’s a good thing VW have thought about these things. The control panels are all driver centered with an aluminum decorative insert. I tell you the gadgets they have made me feel like I was Agent 007. The Park-pilot system was impressive, giving the driver clear estimates during tight maneuverings.

Now it’s time to talk about the most exciting part of my experience, the DRIVE! Let me start by saying this; 3 minutes from Federal Highway to Month Kiara on the Kerinchi Link; Whoooah! The Passat is equipped with a state of the art DCC (Adaptive chassis control) system and traction control. I started up with a comfort setup, along Federal Highway; giving me a smooth drive through the traffic. The car felt like it was gliding with wings. Then when I entered the Kerinchi Link, on came the sports absorber setup and awoke the inner speed demon in me. It flew thru the corners of like it was on rails. After the toll, I jammed my foot down on the accelerator pedal and the Passat bolted off like a fighter jet. At 4000rpm, the turbocharger, even though it is a soft turbo, does really kick in! The 6 speed DSG (Direct Shift Gears) are amazing at compensating traction and power, moving up and down the selection as I was negotiating traffic and the bends on the Kerinchi Link. One to note though is that is you’re cruising, try and keep it on the comfort setup or else you’re going to feel every pebble on the tarmac! The Passat comes with cruise control, keyless security system, rain sensor, airbags to keep the car afloat, electronic stabilizing programme, a panorama sunroof and loads more. One feature that I really loved is the Park Hold system. Say you reach a traffic stop; you don’t have to keep your foot on the brake pedal! The car remains stationary until you accelerate. The Passat also has an electronic parking brake system, unlike the conventional hand brakes that we have on our road cars.

Overall, I give this car a full-fledged and deserving 5 star and not just because of what I saw and felt from the drive but also from the fuel efficiency reviews, which is only 15cent a kilometer. Now that is absolutely astounding for a turbocharged car. Even better is the maintenance requirements, for every 15K kilometers it requires a standard service and it cost less than RM600 for the first service but the following regular services are all below RM900 and a little over RM2400 for a major service. I’ll have to say VW have done their homework in taking the advantage against their rivals, BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. VW are even giving a 1% discount on the car, which of course if you look at the RM245K price isn’t much but hey, it’s still money! For quite some time VW’s Bug and the Golf have hogged the lime-light and for once the German powerhouse have come up with sports sedan good enough to silence the Golf fanatics and put the C-Class and the 3-Series back on their drawing boards.

Made For Formula One

Formula One; the highest flight of motorsports and the pinnacle of car manufacturers pitting their whit and grit to outdo one another. So much research and development has gone into the technology that now governs the Formula One car that we the road car users go ‘wow’ when we watch it on television or read about it in a magazine. We fail to realize that a lot of technology that we have in our cars today was once used in Formula One. Let’s take a quick look at the road car technology that we drive with today…

The pedal shift gears. How many of you drive a Honda Civic 2.0? Or any of the new make/model with a pedal to shift gears behind your steering wheel? Did you know, that this is a technology that is being used in Formula One till today? It was in fact invented and developed for the sport in the early 90s’. That’s another surprise, isn’t it? A technology that was invented so long ago and only now we see it on our road cars. As to why, we’ll let the economist debate that.




Another famous evolution from Formula One is the all famous traction control that every car manufacturer seems to brag about. Well it was also introduced in the 90s when Formula One moved into the non-turbo age. So what exactly is this Traction Control? When your car accelerates from a stand still position, there will be a slight amount power loss due to tyres spinning inefficiently. Now the traction control device ensures that power is gradually transferred from your drive-train to the car tractions or otherwise known as your tyres. Now this system also works during maneuvering corners and such, when the car needs to modulate between power and traction. One of the most if not highest causes of cars losing control and crashing is because of drivers going in too strong into a turn and failing to keep it in line. The traction control system however helps and I stress; it only assists a driver in these circumstances. So remember, the driver’s judgment is still the most important add on accessory a car needs.

As of lately, if you’ve noticed on the roads, trucks and busses are equipped with this annoying LED blinking third brake light, or should I say fourth. And where do you ask this little piece of safety precaution came from? Yes, the answer is Formula One. It is used during a rain setup where visibility is clearly questionable and also during slow speed areas of the Formula One circuit, for example the pit-lanes.

So the next time you go test drive a brand new car and when the sales person starts telling you of some new age technology that ONLY they have, ask yourself; how’d they come up with that. I’m willing to take a bet, 9 times out of 10; it was made for Formula One….

Drive Safe!