How I Did It: Chetan Maini

As told to Shreyasi Singh

Chetan Maini is one of those rare people who live their dream. As a young boy growing up in Bangalore, cars defined his world. At 39, Maini is setting automotive benchmarks for the world to follow. He has transported his spiffy electric car, Reva, from green-street to mainstream. With 3,000 cars on streets across Delhi and Bangalore, and 24 countries in Europe, Central America and Asia, this odd-looking built-in-India hatchback has the largest deployed fleet of electric cars anywhere, giving it the distinction of being the first company to successfully commercialise electric cars. In 2009, Maini entered into a collaboration with General Motors, which could well catapult India into becoming the global hub for the green car movement—and Maini into being its undisputed leader.

I was always putting things together. It was something I loved doing. Maybe the practice of taking things apart helped. My parents tell me even today that when I was very young, I broke everything, and when I got older, I fixed everything.

My love for motors began early. I started out by making remote-controlled cars and planes. In my teens, I was building motorised go-carts. Since specialised components were hard to come by in India, I would ask my dad’s friends to buy spare parts when they travelled abroad. By 11, my bedroom was too small for my hobby. I remember spending my weekends and holidays looking for electronic parts and designing motor mechanisms. School science fairs were a big deal for me. I did a lot in them.

My favorite car is still the one that I built when I was 10. It would hit the wall and come back, reversing electronically. I enjoyed building that one.

Every boy loves his cars. But, my parents really nurtured that interest. They were helpful and resourceful. My father ran a small electronics company then. When I wanted to build a radio in class four, he sent over one of his employees, an electrical engineer, to help me with it. In class six, I learnt how to model planes with the help of my uncle, a navigation instructor with an airlines company, and one of his students who was an aero modeler. The family network fuelled me.

The Lamborghini Countach is something I grew up dreaming about. I drive two Reva cars now, and enjoy all cars, but I have always had a soft spot for the Countach.

My five-year-old son seems to have inherited my love for cars. He drives my remote-controlled cars and makes his own motor mechanisms. I don’t want to push him but he seems to enjoy cars a lot.

I studied mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, where I was a member of the Solar Car Team. We won the GM Sun Race in USA in 1990. It was here that the idea of a cost-effective city electric vehicle first struck me.

Dr Lon Bell, a friend’s father and a technologist, was my early mentor. After winning the GM Sun Race, my solar-car buddies and I had started talking about a company in the electric vehicle space. Dr Bell loved the idea and started Amerigon Electric Vehicles (AEV) in California in 1991. I worked with him before joining Stanford University for a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. After I graduated, I went back to work for him full time. Over the years that I stayed there, I helped develop and design electric and hybrid vehicles.

In 1994, I had started work on the Reva as a joint venture project between the Maini Group and AEV. The first car rolled out in 2001.

It was tough to change hats. Before I moved back home in 1999, a lot was happening in the electric vehicle space in the US. But, not all of it was great news. In 1997, California did not mandate the regulation that would have made sure that 2% of all vehicles sold in the state would have to be zero-emission vehicles. The decision spelt doom for the electric vehicle space. I was sure that the Reva would not happen now. But my family would not let me give up. They pushed me to go ahead with the plans. Things, however, were not that simple anymore. I could not be just a technologist. I had to chase financial organisations for money and had to become an entrepreneur. My role changed. That was a difficult year.

Thankfully, my family has always been there. My brothers now manage the businesses of The Maini Group, founded by my father We make high-precision automotive components and electric material-handling equipment. Reva was a big emotional and financial commitment for all of us.

Our first assembly plant was clean and green. The design was a challenge since everything had to be low on investment yet flexible. We used the “rolling chassis” model unlike the conventional fixed assembly line. Wheels were fixed on to the chassis, which moved from station to station for assembly.

Innovation drives me and research is at the core of everything we do. Reva’s first seven years were focused on development. We have over 10 patents in battery and energy management systems. Reva is a ground-up electric vehicle, not a converted hybrid like other cars in the market. Our new model, the Reva NXR, is built on next generation lithium-ion batteries.

In the last five years, there has been a lot of change. Consumers, governments and automotive players have changed, not just in India but worldwide. Now, people talk about auto emissions, city pollution and climate change. There are concerns about rising fuel costs and fuel shortage. International summits are abuzz with talks and discussions on fuel-efficient technology, hybrid and electric vehicles.

Its actually, London that set the ball rolling. Ever since 2004, when the car went on sale in Britain, the Reva has enjoyed a surge in popularity. Branded as G-Wiz there, there are over a thousand cars on the roads in London. The city has set a fine example. Electric vehicles even tax exemptions and car owners can avail of free parking and charging. On and off-the-street charging stations have been introduced across the city. Our London story has encouraged other manufacturers. There are now more than 50 EV brands under development across the world.

The Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 was a big high. We launched two new models, a four-seater family car, Reva NXR, and a two-seater sports car, Reva NXG. It felt great because we were the only Indian company participating there, and showcasing new technology. We got a great response from the customers and the media.

I am excited about all this. Our business model now goes beyond just being electric vehicle manufacturers. We are licensing our technology and have partnered with GM India to bring out a battery-powered version of their Chevrolet Spark. GM shares our passion for reducing carbon emissions. Also, it has the expertise and ability to develop platforms.

I want to floor the accelerator now. Our new plant in Bangalore has a capacity of 30,000 vehicles. It should be ready by the year-end. I want it to be an industry benchmark. It follows the Indian Green Building Council guidelines and our “born green” philosophy. We should reach plant capacity in the next three years. I also want to set up overseas auto-making ventures.

I believe nothing can stop you if you believe in your idea. I faced a lot of skepticism when I started. It was a brave move. People just didn’t warm up to the concept of electric vehicles. They did not take us seriously. They would test drive the car for fun. Then things began changing. In 2006, I received an investment of $20 million from Draper Fisher Jurveston and Global Environment Fund to grow Reva globally. Thankfully, I never wanted to do anything else even when things weren’t going well. I don’t stay disheartened for long, a couple of hours at most. A good night’s sleep and I am determined to go at things again.

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