HoEV Ram Mallya

Being an industrialist, I did my graduation as a Mechanical Engineer. Back during my college days, we understood what it meant to be born in a developing country and accepted our fate. We could only dream of driving an EV in India back then. It would be right to say that the shift towards E-Mobility came a lot earlier than we all predicted. I guess the ongoing climate crisis was like a wake-up call for the government.

After a decade, we can now say that EVs are accessible to the general public at large. When the TATA Nexon EV was launched, something came over me and I just knew that getting one is the right way ahead, so I did. Till today the maximum range I have managed to squeeze is 275 KMs from a single full charge. It was on the highway, with the air conditioning turned off. Having driven this car for over 20,000 KMs, I can understand the frustration of fellow Nexon EV owners as the claimed range of the vehicle by the company is 320 KMs. The company needs to work on their power management system, and make sure that the vehicle can deliver a minimum of 200KM range without affecting the power output, physical structure or other factors. In the company’s defense, people need to realize that buying an EV today makes you an early adopter in our country. We cannot expect the first generation of EV technology to already be so progressed. It will take a couple of more years for the charging network and the technology to be apt for mass adoption. Till then, EVs will serve their purpose as secondary vehicles.

Having a solar paneled rooftop at my factory, it motivates me even more to contribute towards the clean energy initiatives. I charge my EV with this power using the default 15 Amp charger provided with the vehicle.

A friend of mine recently opened up a 2-Wheeler EV showroom. I introduced him and his venture to all of my team members. Making sure people around us have the correct information and are wary about such products will goa long way when it comes to mass adoption. Six of my friends now own an EV, and I’m proud to say I was an important motivating factor in their decisions!

In recent days, I have stopped using any other vehicle for local transport. I only use the EV to commute through the city and I’m content with the range as well as the performance of the vehicle. I have a diesel Jeep Compass but I only get that out when I need to get out of town.

In fact, being a wildlife photographer by hobby, taking the EV for my expeditions is actually a much wiser decision. Birds are mostly unbothered due to the no noise factor of the electric motor and helps me capture the perfect frame. My family also enjoys the car and whenever they join me for an outing, its always a pleasure cruising through the woods in silence.

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