Indian automaker Mahindra Reva has announced plans to start selling its tiny Reva e20 EV in Europe by the end of the summer. Since the giant conglomerate Mahindra bought the Reva Electric Car Company in 2010, the company has become India’s leading EV developer.

“The way electric vehicle technology is growing in Europe, we expect it to play an important role there. We are looking at the opportunity to launch our electric vehicle there and expect to do so in the next six months,” Pravin Shah, Head of Automotive Global Operations, told the Press Trust of India.

Some see the European move as a necessity, in order to expand the market for a car that has been selling less than 1,000 units per year at home. India offers few incentives for EV buyers, and has little charging infrastructure, so EV-makers are struggling. Two years ago, 25 Indian firms were working on EV technology, but now there are about five, Shah said.

However, the Reva has had modest success in the 24 countries where the company licenses its technology to other automakers. Shah said the e20’s future depends on its ability to take advantage of government goodies in more developed markets. Meanwhile, Mahindra is trying to get New Delhi to support the Indian EV market with incentives.

“We are expecting some sort of allocation in the budget that’ll help in making the electric vehicles more affordable for consumers, as the current cost is very high,” Shah told India’s Business Standard newspaper.

Source: International Business Times