The contrast between the REVA car and the Toyota Eco-Driving display at the IUCN World Conservation Congress cannot be more striking.

While the lonesome REVA has been tanning itself outside the congress venue, getting towed around once in a while, the Toyota pavilion boasts of an attractive high-tech simulator that has become one of the most popular exhibits at the congress so far.

The dissimilarities do not end there. The India-based REVA Electric Car Company (RECC) plays a proverbial David to the Goliath Toyota, one of the juggernauts in the world’s car manufacturing industry. While REVA’s solitary representative at the congress has proved to be exceptionally elusive, Toyota’s army of immaculately-dressed executives pull no punches in trying to win the hearts of participants.

The Toyota European Sustainability Report 2008, launched on Tuesday, is a 84-page, perfect-bound public relation masterpiece, while REVA offers a simple single-page handout with the car’s technical details – listed only in Spanish – and tucked unremarkably under the car’s windscreen wiper.

Regardless of the differences, both car-makers share a common vision – to provide an environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional petrol guzzlers.

“We are fully committed to growing our business profitably, while enhancing our social and environmental performance,” said Graham Smith, senior vice-president of external and environmental affairs, Toyota Motor Europe. “Our holistic approach is designed to create value for both Toyota, as a sustainable business, and for the communities in which we live and work,” he added.

Spurred by the impending launch of its Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles, which boasts of technological advances to enable further energy savings and more driver comfort, Toyota aims to sell more than one million hybrid cars annually by 2010. Having sold close to 1.6 million Toyota hybrid vehicles to date, the Japanese car-maker estimates it has already saved the earth from some 7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions since the inception of its hybrid cars in 1996.

But the REVA takes environment conservation a step further. Running on an electric battery, the fully electric car releases absolutely no harmful gases into the atmosphere. Able to be plugged into any commonly-found 15-ampere socket, the REVA’s battery consumes just 9 units of electricity for a full charge. Unfortunately, it only allows the car to run for up to 80 km before having to stop for another charge.

“We have worked on electric cars for many years, since 1996, when we launched the electric version of the Toyota Rav4. It was a good car, and we even won a rally race for electric vehicles in Sweden. But it was not a commercial success because of issues like range and charging time. The market was not ready for this,” said Smith.

And REVA had better watch out. Toyota has plans to dip its feet back into the electric vehicle market, with a small electric car due in early 2010.

While traditional petrol vehicles still dominate the market – hybrid vehicles only make up seven per cent of Toyota’s total sales – Smith is confident the number of hybrid and electric vehicles will increase. But do not mistake the move for sentimentality.

“We don’t do anything that does not make commercial sense,” said Smith. As more hybrid vehicles are manufactured, the cost of production is lowered through the economies of scale. On the other hand, government regulations are making the regular cars more expensive to produce. “Because of this, there will be a point in the future that hybrid vehicles will make the most commercial sense,” he said.

Regardless of motivation, it seems, the need for hybrid vehicles and electric cars is being driven by climate change. But for now, as the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ continue to occupy the same space in the congress, it is becoming apparent that the disadvantaged Davids will have to make the effort to be heard over the high-decibel Goliaths.

(TerraViva)