Abstract

REVA Electric Car Company (RECC) of India, a pioneer in the manufacture of electric cars in the twenty-first century, had recorded very low sales numbers both in the domestic and export markets in its first few years of operations. Due to the small size of its electric cars, they were classified as quadricycles in the UK and neighborhood electric vehicles in the US. The case discusses RECC’s series of initiatives in 2009 which included product innovation to develop advanced electric cars as well as collaborations for licensing its technology and manufacturing to multiple strategic partners. However, it remained to be seen whether RECC would be able to leverage its early-mover advantage in electric vehicular technology, given the aggressive plans of several global automakers to target the nascent market for electric cars.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analysis of RECC's performance and the factors for poor sales in various countries.
• RECC's growth strategy in the emerging global market for electric cars terms of products innovation and collaboration.
• Ability of RECC to withstand fierce competition from several global automakers.

Keywords

REVA Electric Car Company, Climate change mitigation, Electric vehicular technology, Product innovation and collaborations, Telematics, Electric vehicle mobility solutions, Total cost of ownership, Battery charging infrastructure, Battery leasing, Lithium-ion batteries, The Maini Group, Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) India, Distribution network, Safety, BYD Auto, Tesla Motors, Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, Hybrid cars