A few months back, I went on a trip with my friends to Manali. On my way to Manali and while returning, there were several questions related to electric vehicles that stuck in my mind. I know it is not normal to have those questions but since I am an auto journalist – so seems quite normal for me, right?
So these were some of the questions that were stuck in my mind:
Is it possible to do these long trips on electric vehicles in India?
Do we have enough charging infrastructure for EVs in our country?
How long does it take to charge an EV?
What if our battery drains out and there are no charging stations nearby?
Also Read: MG Gloster Black Storm Edition Teased Once Again, Launch on May 29
So, while sitting in the rear seat, I scanned every petrol pump and pit stop to quench my thirst and to find answers to all these questions in my head. I was badly in search of answers to all these questions, so that I can make people aware of the reality of Electric Vehicles and the charging infrastructure in our country.
The Big Day – Drive Begins
A few months later, MG Motor India approached us to be a part of the Delhi-Jalandhar-Delhi drive in the ZS Electric SUV. I and Shahrukh (a team-mate of mine) took off for this adventurous drive almost one and a half months back. I felt like this was the perfect opportunity to quench my thirst and find answers to all the questions regarding EVs. Soon Shahrukh called me and said in a rather excited tone, “I’m ready for the upcoming adventure, are you?
As soon as I reached the set destination, the official welcomed me with a big smile and handed me a bottle of water. Later, they also arranged a hot cup of coffee, which was served in the cutlery with an embossed Morris Garage (MG) logo. While sipping it, I called Paras to confirm at what time he would reach, so that we can plan accordingly for the long drive to Jalandhar.
As I finished my coffee, I saw him (in his usual swag) entering from the gate with a wide smile. Seeing him in that way, I somehow got an idea that he was quite pumped up for the drive. MG ZS EV might be one of the reasons. Or maybe Punjabi food. I am not sure, but he was excited for sure.
One of the officials from the brand told us that the flag-off will take place at 10:20 AM. After getting a green signal from the officials, we began our much-awaited journey to answer all the questions related to electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in India.
We both were curious to get our hands on the all-electric SUV. I got the first opportunity to drive as Paras was occupied with his daily routine office work.
First things first, it was my first electric vehicle driving experience on a long route. As soon as I pushed the start/stop button, the electric SUV started without making any fuss. I paused for a moment and wondered if the engine was really on or not as there was no noise at all. Furthermore, I am used to driving petrol/diesel engine powered cars, which generate sound when the ignition is turned on.
Paras from the rear seat shouted, “Bro, the car has started, what are you thinking?”. I turned back and looked at him with a wry smile while pressing the accelerator.
The car was 97 percent charged when it was handed over to us. I drove the car for almost 70 km and reached our first halt at Murthal.
After parking the MG ZS EV, I started walking towards the restaurant. However, I took out a brief moment in time to turn back and appreciate the head-turning design of the e-SUV. The Candy White colour was the icing on the cake.
Guess what we ordered for breakfast at Murthal? Yes, we ordered the most popular Parathas and Kesar Lassi. The meal was heavier than we thought it would be.
I was impressed with the quality of the material used inside the cabin of the MG ZS EV. The three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, central infotainment system, and the overall visibility from the driving seat were a few highlights.
I tried all three modes i.e. Eco, Normal, and Sports of the MG ZS EV and below are my observations:
Eco Mode: The primary highlight of this mode is to generate more range due to regenerative braking. The mode also offers good braking and also boosts the drivers’ confidence in terms of handling.
Normal Mode: In Normal Mode, it provides good handling and decent stability on the rough patches on the road. This is a perfect mode for your daily driving needs. Balanced power, braking, and handling.
Sports Mode: As the name suggests, this mode is for all the enthusiasts who want to drag the car to the best of its ability. The AC in this mode works efficiently and cools the cabin in no time. However, the battery drains fast in this mode (which is obvious). The handling at Sports mode and high speed does not instill much confidence.
It is very easy to switch between these modes and one can switch as per his/her driving needs. When Paras was driving and I was seated at the rear, I felt a handful of jerks. The Torsion Beam suspension setup could be improved and made much better as buyers expect this from MG when they spend in excess of Rs 20 lakh . However, I found the leg space, headroom, and shoulder room of the car adequate enough to accommodate three people at the rear seat without any problem.
First Charging Stop
It is very easy to switch between these modes and one can switch as per his/her driving needs. When Paras was driving and I was seated at the rear, I felt a handful of jerks. The Torsion Beam suspension setup could be improved and made much better as buyers expect this from MG when they spend in excess of Rs 20 lakh . However, I found the leg space, headroom, and shoulder room of the car adequate enough to accommodate three people at the rear seat without any problem.
Second Charging Stop
At 6:18 PM, we reached Ludhiana. Since this drive was in partnership with MG and BPCL, we again stopped at the BPCL charging station to juice up the battery. We left the electric SUV with a 14 percent battery. We had cold coffee, wrap, and pasta at the Barista outlet and took a halt of nearly one and a half hours.
Since we were close to the destination. We switched seats and noticed the car was 63 percent charged and our final destination Jalandhar was nearly 50 km away.
We easily managed to reach our hotel Ramada Jalandhar just before dinner time and were left with 23 percent battery, before we called it a day.
Conclusion
After having a delicious buffet dinner, we (me and Paras) had a healthy and thoughtful discussion regarding electric vehicles. We concluded that EVs are good, budget-friendly and they serve their purpose. However, at the same time, we realized that electric vehicles take more time to reach the desired destination due to the lack of charging infrastructure.
As far as the charging infrastructure on Delhi-Jalandhar-Delhi route is concerned, there are ample number of charging stations available, especially on the whole National Highway 44. The MG ZS EV is a decent package overall and we consider it a fair deal at the present starting price of Rs. 23.38 lakh.
Comments
0 comment