Micro cars in India are becoming increasingly popular. These cars are known in different names. The length of these cars is three meters and the interior volume is lower than 2,400 liters. Cycle cars were a form of micro cars in the 1910s. Then the name was changed to bubble cars in the 1960s. A number of three-wheeled micro cars were made throughout the 1950s.
About Micro Cars
A micro car is the smallest category of cars, typically applicable for cars that are usually smaller than city cars. Latest models (in the 1960s and 1970s) of these cars were known as bubblecars because of their egg-like structure.
About Micro cars in India
Usually, a micro car can only have room for one individual besides the driver. Smart Roadster, Corbin Sparrow, Smart Fortwo, and REVA are famous micro car models. India has also started manufacturing electric micro cars. The G Wiz electric car manufactured by REVA (Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles Private Limited) has garnered significant popularity among the Indian customers. REVA is planning to export it to the U.S. in the near future.
Indian vehicle manufacturers like Sunrise Auto Industries Ltd. and REVA makes micro cars.
Benefits of micro cars
Given below are some of the salient benefits of micro cars:
- The maintenance cost is reasonable.
- The lightweight and tiny size makes it simple to park micro cars.
- Micro cars are so light that you can carry them with your hand for parking.
- Micro cars such as Isetta feature a frontward entry, which assists in vertical parking.
Features of micro cars
Some of the important features of micro cars are as follows:
- A one cylinder 49cc - 500cc engine
- Accommodates only the driver and another passenger
- Cable-operated brakes on two or four wheels (no more allowable in countries like the United Kingdom).
- One wheel drive
- 6" - 8" roadwheels
- Basic suspensions
Most but not all of the micro cars are:
- Not equipped with a reverse gear (the vehicleâs weight was sufficiently light for parking to be accomplished by elevating one corner of the car).
- Three wheeled
- Equipped with lifting framework rather than doors
- May have all gears functional in reverse and in forward gear like the Messerschmitt KR200
- Lower than 2400 liters/85 cubic feet interior volume
- Lower than 3 meters in length (on certain occasions, lower than 2.440 meters, 8').
Popular micro car models in India
Some of the most popular micro car models in India are as follows:
- Badal - 198 cc (1975-1982) Sunrise Auto Industries Ltd (SAIL), Bangalore (4 seats)
- Badal 4 198 cc (1981-1982) Sunrise Auto Industries Ltd (SAIL), Bangalore (4 seats)
- G Wiz electric car (REVA) AC Traction Motor, 13 kW peak power 2009 (4 seats)
Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles Private Limited or erstwhile REVA Electric Car Company is an automaker located in Bangalore. It designs and produces electric cars. It is mostly famous for making the best selling electric vehicle in the world, the REVA.
REVA Electric Car Company presently manufactures two editions of the REVA, a modern electric micro car accommodating two adults and two kids:
- REVA, fitted with lead-acid batteries, which has a minor range of 80 km (50 miles) per charge and a maximum speed of 50 mph or 80 km/h.
- REVA L-ion, fitted with Lithium-ion batteries, which has quicker speeding up and a small range of 120 km (75 mi) per charge.
Cars made by the REVA Motor Company have been running on the Indian roads since 2001.
India will be coming up as a massive car market in the near future because of its fast economic development and high population. Therefore, the country is a very good market for micro cars. These cars are ideal for its narrow and crowded roads in comparison to bigger vehicles.