HoEV - Kamlesh Mundada

It was December 2019 when I bought my first electric bike, Revolt RV 400, and I must say, it completely changed my life for the better. As a salaried person, I used to travel 2000 kms every month from Nashik to Sinnar, covering 90 kms as my daily distance to work and back, which was nothing less than a nightmare. My monthly cost of commuting was Rs 6000 spent on travel by bus, which became one of the major decision making factors for me to invest in an electric bike.

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Although I had to delay my purchase as there was a 9 month waiting period, it was worth the wait. I am a thorough bike enthusiast and even though I own a honda activa and hero splendour, purchasing the revolt bike has been one of the best decisions I have ever made, especially since it reduced my commuting cost phenomenally. The bike is super smooth and is extremely economical, hardly requiring any maintenance. Today the bike marks 2 years since it’s purchase and I have already covered 40,000 Kms. The best part is that in these last 2 years I have only spent Rs 1200 to Rs 1500 on the maintenance charges, which is also because of the stock revolt battery quality. My monthly commute has reduced to Rs 250 as compared to the steep charges of Rs 6000 of travel.

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I am extremely proud to share that I was one of the first few people in Nashik to own an electric bike, the message of which soon spread across the city like wildfire. I was approached by people who would ask me about my purchase and experience, soon after which I noticed a spike in electric bikes in Nashik which reached over 50+ after I first bought the bike. I must also mention that even though I visited my 2nd servicing after 14000 kms due to lockdown, my bike was in an excellent condition except a few small replacements all of which were under warranty. 

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For my bike servicing, I personally travel to Pune from Nashik to the service centre to analyse the battery performance and I have never been disappointed. The distance I cover for this is 180 kms, which is easily completed in a single charge, as I ride my bike in eco mode at the speed of 35 km/h for better range and safety.  

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Initially I was hesitant about the effect on my bike by riding in the rains, but I soon realised that the IP67 water resistant feature in the bike guarantees that there is absolutely no issue in enjoying the rains on the electric bike, which I confirmed when I rode for 40 kms in heavy rains. Incidentally, I once forgot my bike keys in my jeans pocket which went through a thorough wash, and came out absolutely fine without any issues in the use after.

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As an electric bike owner, I would suggest everyone to switch to an EV as it really does wonders to your daily lifestyle and commute. The only suggestion I would make is to have a good battery management outlook which would assist in a convenient and safe journey. But I still have so much to be grateful for, that I sometimes wonder if this is a reality of a perfect vehicle or am I dreaming.

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