Chetan Maini has resigned from his post as the head of Mahindra Reva, the electric car company he founded in 1994. Earlier known as Reva Electric Car Company, the Bangalore based concern was taken over by the Mahindra group in 2010. Maini, however, stayed with the company, serving as its CEO and technical head. He will be moving to a new position within the group and and will be responsible for incubating and leading new technology ventures. He will continue to be associated with Mahindra Reva and Formula-E Racing in an advisory capacity.

 

Widely accepted as being a pioneer in the field, Maini was first drawn to electric cars when he was just a student. A degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford in the US and participation in a number of electric and solar car races around the world further cemented his passion for electric cars. In 1994, Maini started working on the Reva, India's first electric car, which after several years of testing and upgrades was finally launched in 2001. Whereas the car was a limited success here in India, it has done better in the UK market (where it was sold as the G-Wiz). In 2005, Reva showcased two futuristic models — the NXR and the NXG, designed by DC Design, with the former finally seeing the light of day as the Mahindra e2o. In 2011, Chetan Maini was awarded the Economist's Energy and Environment Award.  

 

Maini will be replaced by Arvind Mathew, former managing director of Ford India, as the CEO of the electrical vehicle subsidiary effective from May 1, 2015.