With a population of 1.25 billion people but one of the lowest vehicle ownership rates in the world, India has tremendous market potential for automakers. Just what role electric cars will play in India’s growing economy is uncertain, but the country can now claim to have its first electric “supercar”, the Golden Arrow Supernova.

Why the quotation marks? Because in this case, what one can consider a supercar is all about perspective. There are just a handful of electric cars for sale in India right now, and not only are they not selling well, but some of the, barely qualify as cars as we know them. The Mahindra Reva e20 has a range of just 60 miles on a full charge and a top speed of 60 MPH. I mean, really? 60 MPH? That’s it? If you tried to take that out on an American highway, you wouldn’t be run off the side of the road so much as stuck to the front of a semi-truck.

Thankfully for the Supernova, designer Sashi Vyas saw fit to give his electric car a mighty 78 horsepower motor, allowing for a comparatively spirited sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in about 9.9 seconds. Though slower than the Nissan LEAF, the Supernova certainly looks faster, as Vyas drew his inspiration from the slew of Bertone-designed supercar concepts from the 1990s.

Alas, the workmanship appears to be on the same level as a cobbled-together kit car, though Vyas claims in the Business Standard to have about 250 orders already. India has pledged to invest over $4 billion in electric vehicles over 8 years, and the Supernova could yet benefit from that investment.

Right now the company needs investment and land so they can set up a manufacturing facility in Gujarat, which would give India its first native electric automaker. In addition to a claimped top speed of 150 KPH (about 100 MPH), Vyas says the Supernova will be offered with three battery types; lead acid, lithium-ioin, and supercapacitors, which I have to say is a novel concept in this industry.

Only Tesla offers multiple battery sizes, but the idea of offering customers cheaper lead-acid or other battery chemistries hasn’t take a hold in the industry. But in India where new cars are extremely price sensitive, less range for a lower price might be a trade people are willing to make. Unfortunately that doesn’t fix the lack of an electric car infrastructure or India’s notoriously unreliable and dangerous electrical grid.

But hey, it’s a start, right?

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Tags: electric car, Electric Grid, EV, Golden Arrow, Golden Arrow Wireless, India, Indian EV, Sashi Vyas, Supernova

About the Author

Christopher DeMorro A writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs, Chris can be found wrenching or writing- or esle, he’s running, because he’s one of those crazy people who gets enjoyment from running insane distances.

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