One of the biggest disappointments in my life…..my TEENZ….does not run anymore.
When I bought the vehicle in September 2008…they promised me that the battery would come upto 2 years minimum. Good maintenance will make the battery go longer..
It was just one year….1100 Kms covered totally by the vehicle…..and the vehicle stopped running. Got it serviced 3 times ….still no good. The guy who serviced it finally told me that one of the 4 batteries was not ok. it was draining the energy of all the other 3 batteries.
Now….if i have to replace this battery….I cant do it. I have to replace all the 4 batteries as the batteries are available as a set. The cost of this set of batteries is 9300 Rs…..which is about 1/3rd the cost of the vehicle.
The reason for buying TEENZ was that its running cost per KM was much lesser compared to a petrol vehicle. But now…if I see the investment I hvae made on the vehicle and that it lasted for only 1 year…..the cost works out much more than a petrol vehicle. also the investment is dead as I cannot use the vehicle without an expenditure of about 10,000Rs.
The spending of so much money again does not guarentee me that I can use the vehicle without any problems for 2 years.
When I purtchased this vehicle… I did a lot of research. I found another bike “Yo Bike” which was also an electric vehicle. As a matter of fact….this vehicle can be driven without license and they also promised a better mileage. I did not opt for thie vehicle for the simple reason that the company that manufactured it was not very known.
I wanted to buy a TVS vehicle as TVS is known for its quality. It is a six sigma company which has won awards for its quality. I was proud of a company which is completely Indian…..having won awards for quality.
But now I am having second thoughts…
I wrote to them…but got no reply….
I am very very disappointed with TEENZ of course….but also with TVS…. I had high regards for the company which I have lost now.
I wanted to be pollution free…or atleast less polluting….but I dont think Indian infrastructure…and the companies that support this will ever allow this to happen.
mind you….I also heard similar stories with the Reva car. I am not sure how far this is true…but there too the battery needs to be replaced 2 years once…and the cost of battery is extremely high.
My next wish was to buy a Reva….but now I have changed my mind. The vehicle initial cost itself is so high….and now when I think of all these extra expenditure that awaits…..I dont think I can afford to stop polluting the air…
I tried my best to do my part…..but I am extremely unhappy to say that the government, reasearch organizations and the manufacturing companies are doing nothing to support people like me.
Hi Vidhya,
I fully empathise with you. I too bought a TVS Scooty electric scooter thinking it will be a reliable high quality product that will help me do a small bit for the environment. However, after 1 year and 3600 KM, I was asked to replace all the batteries.
My husband is following up on this with the dealer Goodwill Automotive and TVS Motor in Chennai.
Thank you for highlighting this.
3600KM in a year…thats quite good usage of the vehicle… I managed only 1100KM!!
However, my dad followed up and got a battery replacement done…..now its been 6 months and is running fine…we were told that the number of cycles of charging is what counts and not the number of years….
I still like the vehicle a lot for its smoothness and environmental friendliness…..but this battery changing problem is something which is not ok….
you must read my final post http://www.allyouwannaknow.net/gogreen/2010/05/10/teenz-i-gave-up-but-daddy-dint/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+vidhya%2Fgogreen+%28Go+Green%29
We are hoping that this time the battery will last longer as daddy is taking real good care wbout how he is charging and how he is using the vehicle…this time it will be a real testimony for the vehicle from our end after one year!!
Thanks for trying to reduce your footprint, Vidhya. It’s more than most do.
BTW, I own a REVA, 2001 model. It still works and I’m very happy with it. The battery was changed just once sometime in 2004 or 2005 by the previous owner. And after that it’s been through a battery ‘cleaning’ or something of that sort a couple of years ago, but it still gives me about 45km. Nowadays the batteries come with a 3 year warranty. And they give you a 50% discount if you buy change the battery at the end of the third year (I don’t find this necessary; the battery seems to last a good 5-6 years). So I believe REVA is definitely worth it! Especially if one has solar-powered electricity, then the only thing greener is riding a bicycle!
Thats great information.Thanks a lot.I am having my eye on the reva for a very long time now. The reviews on mouth shut were not too encouraging.But ur comment has revived my interest. I shall soon check it out:)
thats encouraging post of reva. so did u bought it
Not yet….it is still too expensive
How much did you sell your electric scooty for? I was offered 5000 by the dealer in exchange for Wego, but decided to continue with the electric scooty for a while. Its completed 7000 km today (in about 2 yrs), and running fine now.
Waiting for a decent electric car in the market – probably an electric i10 or indica. Reva is really too expensive for what it offers.
Oh…finally…someone who also owns the TEENZ….
I sold it for Rs 7500 and a very heavy heart:(…I had to sell it as the new flat that i am shifting into does not have a charging point in its basement and getting a charrging point there seems to be a complicated job as of now….
Reva is too expensive… I blame the govt for not giving them enough subsidies….hope a good 4 wheeler wil come… i still love the reva tho:)!!