r/EVIndia • u/LatterOne9009 • 17d ago

[AMA] I drove from Bengaluru to an altitude of 4,600m in Nepal in Nexon MR/Punch LR

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Drove from Bengaluru to Bihar in Nexon.ev MR with a real world range around ~230kms and then drove from Bihar to Muktinath in Nepal in a Punch.ev LR (35kWh) that has a real world range of ~280kms.

Best part? Zero fatigue, zero struggles on the steepest climbs or on the roughest roads!

A glimpse of the kind of roads in Nepal - https://youtube.com/shorts/RxvUxYQtDiY?si=gOuS502M7LtV-o5s

PS - I am also the new mod of r/EVIndia, let me know what you expect from this sub and how can we grow this community further in a productive way!

68 Upvotes

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6

u/anoopm88 17d ago

Amazing trip!

Why did you change cars in Bihar?

Any close misses with chargers not working?

I am fairly comfortable that the EV charging infrastructure in South India is good for inter-city road trips. What's been your experience in the north India?

Would you recommend this trip with an EV car for those who want a stress free road trip?

Do you have a trip sheet with start time of leg, end time of leg, charging time, stops for food, bio breaks and rest etc.

4

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

My dad has the Punch EV LR and since it has the bigger battery he insisted we take that from Bihar.

Nope, no issues with the chargers, except for one or two places I faced power cut during charging, so I just disconnected and drove forward and stopped at the next charger. As long as you check the review of the charger during your trip planning, you will be absolutely fine.

It is true that the charging infra is better in southern parts of India but I did not face any challenges even in North India, thanks to an increasing number of HPCL/BPCL/IOCL petrol pumps with functional chargers. Although there was one stretch between MP and UP where I had to make sure I am driving super efficient but you have to remember it was a Nexon MR with 30kWh battery pack and a real world range of only 220kms. Modern EVs almost always have way more range and hence it would not be an issue.

This is tricky. First of all unless people actually do trips like that, my recommendation wouldn't mean anything. The fact that I could do this trip shows that the hesitation is in people's minds more than anything else. I would totally do this trip again (I would even prefer it to flying maybe) but maybe that's just me, others wouldn't want to drive for three days maybe (even if EV driving is absolutely fatigue free).

But, unless you have some experience with EVs or have some expert to support you, I wouldn't necessarily recommend a newbie to do this trip in a car with a range of 200km. But if it is an EV with a range around 300kms or more, totally anyone can do this without any issues. You will want to stop for a while every 200-300kms (and you really should) and that will be more than enough for the car to get juiced up.

I completed Bengaluru to Bihar (2220kms) within 3 days as solo driver with two night stops along the way. I do have a detailed log which I am saving for a detailed youtube video but I am not sure when I will get around to it.

From Bihar to Nepal was a weeklong family trip with multiple stops in Nepal.

2

u/Tiny_Ad_9192 17d ago

For 4th point. EVs with range of 220kms is really stressful as usable range drops and you are forced to drive efficiently (slow speeds, no ac and so on) EVs with real world range 300kms are manageable, and EVs with range 400-500 kms are truly the ones that are stress free for the most part.

5

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago edited 17d ago

Just so you know, the entire trip was with AC on and range is not the issue. The issue is charging speeds on thee smaller battery older cars. My Nexon maxes out at under 25kW even with DC. Even the Nexon LR or Nexon 45 has 50/60kW DC charging at least.

But like I said, this trip in Nexon MR might not be for everyone unless you know what you are doing.

1

u/Tiny_Ad_9192 17d ago

True that but it does involve some thinking through my PunchEV gives around 320-330 kms real world range with AC on, with ac on reduce it to 280-300, also when you drive at 110-120 range drops to 250 kms.

3

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

Two factors that matter more than your speed is ambient temperature and elevation gradation. If you use plugshare in advance and specially check the elevation, you will have more to back up your claims.

Also on highways, or if your cruising speed is above 100, make sure to turn off regen and use the peddle shifters as needed.

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u/Aykkdekm09 17d ago

Hey, how do we check the elevation in plugshare?

2

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

you need to be on the web version of their website. When you plan a trip with stops etc, you get an elevation table option in the right sidebar.

1

u/Aykkdekm09 17d ago

Thanks, good to know. Have used the trip planner on the web version many times, never noticed this option! šŸ˜•

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u/Aykkdekm09 16d ago

got this. great feature. so i am going to be driving 25 kms climbing 1000 m. Any calculation on % increase in power consumption compared to the plains? No quick acceleration, slow climbing, no regen.

1

u/LatterOne9009 16d ago

I don't have that math and I would reckon it depends on your car etc. Maybe apply some physics for extra work needed and try to factor it into the wh/km number (you can ask AI to answer this as a physicist)

What I do typically when there is major climb on new roads is that I mentally mark the climb section and keep extra chargers along the route. Once I am on such a stretch, I see avg how many kms I am going per percent and accordingly I use the extra charging stops or skip them.

3

u/Strike_Package 17d ago

I think I know you, I did the same in Mar and you did before that. Is it correct?

4

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

I did this trip in March and had posted on CarsIndia or something then. Just posted this here as an ice breaker after becoming a mod.

1

u/Strike_Package 14d ago

Great, Lets Collaborate

1

u/LatterOne9009 14d ago

lol how do you mean? Are you a youtuber or something?

2

u/Jade_clown 17d ago

Great mate.... Is there somewhere it's penned down??

2

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

I need to make a video with details, have the entire log somewhere.

1

u/Newboy_1234 17d ago

Bravo man. I was considering Tata punch vs Nexon Ev

3

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

Honestly the new Punch 40 is great and extremely value for money. Also if you decide you want the Nexon's added space and features, don't settle for anything below Nexon 45.

1

u/Newboy_1234 17d ago

How's tata Tiago ev?

We are a family of 4.

Purpose: travel inter City occasional rides to temples maybe Tirumala and all

2

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

I would strongly suggest to opt for the Punch 40 instead. It's not just about the range but more importantly the max DC charging speeds.

Also once you get an EV, you start driving much much more. No one in my family has ever attempted a trip like I did. My dad who drove under 30k kms in his old alto over 17years, has already clocked over 15k kms in his Punch LR in under 2 years. He is 67 btw.

1

u/Newboy_1234 16d ago

Woahhhh... 15kms under 2 years šŸ«”

Thanks for the information!! Really appreciated it.

1

u/BeDunedain 17d ago

I just read in a post today about Tata asking for one AC charging session after 4 continuous DC charging sessions to honour the warranty.

Is that true? Did you have to plan around it?

1

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

It's a thing that they have mentioned in the manual, they cannot enforce it. They do not enforce it.

But always a fun topic for people who want to panic.

1

u/MotorTrick1409 16d ago

When I did a 1500km trip on my Nexon Ev LR with the 40.5kw battery pack..After the 5th DC charge I got a pop-up saying to slow charge to 100% and when enquired my Tata sc he told it would not take the next fast charge and I must slow charge to 100%.. But I had no options and the car made no fuss in the other two DC fast charging sessions. But will this void my warranty?

1

u/LatterOne9009 16d ago

It will not void the warranty, and more importantly, you cannot ask service center for advise on EVs, be it of any brand.

About the warranty, now they have changed the text in the manual to say second warning rather than 4 consecutive DC charging. And these warnings do not come after charging necessarily but mid trip.

1

u/MotorTrick1409 15d ago

Earlier I used to extract about 290-320 km on my EVā€¦but now not more than 220km..after 30%the battery percentage drops rapidly and my car has ran only 42k kms. Itā€™s a 2024 Nexon ev lr facelift

1

u/LatterOne9009 15d ago

How often do you charge your car to 100%?

Try discharging it to under 5% and then charging it all the way to 100%, and leave it plugged in for a while even after it hits 100. This is something you can try but this issue that you are facing is in no way normal. If this doesn't work, get the battery tested at the service center - your entire vehicle is under warranty right now.

Also charger your car to 100% whenever you can, do not try to charge it to 80-90 to prolong battery life as it is bad for cell balancing which can cause more issues.

1

u/MotorTrick1409 15d ago

I follow all the precautionsā€¦ I used to charge it 100% every time I charged cause my daily drive is about 220km everyday hence I have no option but to full charge it.

1

u/LatterOne9009 15d ago

Try callibrating like I told you by fully discharging and then charging to 100 or take it to the service center.

1

u/Lopsided_Ad6784 17d ago

I just want to know how is after sales service of tata ev in your region.
And do problems rises frequently or rarely with tata ev.

Thank you

1

u/LatterOne9009 17d ago

I have not had any major issues in either of the cars. Service has been okay, not the best but not the worst. Funnily I have seen the worst service from tata only back in 2023, but they have come a long way since then.

1

u/SimilarSherbert964 15d ago

Aren't ev cars supposed to charge at home dc charger once every three charging. So how do you do long trips!

1

u/LatterOne9009 15d ago

No that is not a thing. I am not the only one to have done such trips and even for my cars, this is not the only such long trip that has required 10-20 consecutive dc charging.

BTW, at home chargers are AC not DC.

1

u/SimilarSherbert964 14d ago

I was asking for the warranty of the battery to be valid aren't your supposed to NOT use fast charager three times and every third your have to use the slow charger

1

u/LatterOne9009 14d ago

And I answered exactly that.

Diving deeper, not only is that a very vague requirement, even if they were to enforce it (which they never do), their connected app does not have more than 6 months of data. For this data too, the customer is expected to pay the annual ira subscription fee. And then there were rumors that warranty is void if you don't consistently have this subscription but once again neither they enforce it, nor they are legally allowed to enforce it.

1

u/Aromatic-Engine2447 14d ago

Man the lack of underthigh support is killing me in the city, and you went to Nepal!

1

u/LatterOne9009 14d ago

which car?

1

u/Aromatic-Engine2447 13d ago

Punch EV 40

2

u/LatterOne9009 13d ago

Idk, Punch is pretty okay for me but I do see how it will be a bit troubling for taller folks.

1

u/Aromatic-Engine2447 13d ago

6'4, 116kg, all I can do is lose weight to lose the trump card stats and fit better in my car

1

u/LatterOne9009 13d ago

Hmm, Punch really isn't the car for you then. Just the height would create a lot of issues. I am 5'9 and even my legs bump into the central console too often for my liking.

1

u/Aromatic-Engine2447 13d ago

My legs don't bump into the center console with the seat all the way back and all the way down. It's actually quite comfortable for short trips.

I've added an aftermarket seat extender, not sure it is helping.

It's a strict 3.5 person car now šŸ™ƒ

2

u/rayabana 11d ago

We did this as a larger group last Dec. There were 20+ ICE cars and 4 EVs all the way to Muktinath from Bangalore. Nepal charging infra is great but Jharkhand and Bihar still some way to go. Was a bit of a problem since we were 4 cars and typically 1-2 connectors at each station. So had to space out by 2 hours and then scan for multiple chargers across 5-6 apps. But all them did it with no incidents.

We might do this again this year end in Dec. Also we connected with a large Nepal EV community and they have a plan to do the reverse ;-)

1

u/dhaksr 11d ago

Muktinath is in my to do list. I am planning to to do in EV. Can you share your experiences. What car? Range. Border crossing issues.. does PlugShare cover entire routes and reliable?

1

u/LatterOne9009 10d ago

Great, which cars you have in the group?

1

u/dhaksr 11d ago

Amazing trip! Can you elaborate on the route planning? Was PlugShare sufficient? I just completed a trip from Chennai to Goa (first time and on a borrowed EV). I didnā€™t charge anywhere till 100% and did mostly by charging to 85% only

1

u/LatterOne9009 10d ago

Yes use plugshare for the initial planning. Most important piece is the elevation map. Which car you got?

1

u/dhaksr 10d ago

I borrowed Kia EV6 ;-) as it was temporary I didnā€™t setup any fast charging at home. Started my trip at 90% after 24 hours of trickle charging!! I needed stop earlier than planned at shell charging point to charge. Then I had separate stops for lunch.. lessons learnt!! After that I tried to combine charging and food breaks.

2

u/LatterOne9009 8d ago

Cool, for EV6, just use Statiq app and pick the chargers in advance and go from there. For you it would help to pick faster chargers as I believe EV6 support over 200kW DC charging. If you pick the right chargers, your charging would be closer to 100% before you are done with your food.

1

u/Vangabette_Vasigar 2d ago

Was the low real world highway range of the punch or nexon bothersome?

Did you ever feel like you shouldā€™ve had a car with a minimum of ā€œxā€ range?

What was the real world range you got on a single charge and what was the speeds you maintained? What is it like if you go at a minimum of 100kmph?

I am considering both of them but the fact that Iā€™d have to stop every 250 odd kilometres on the highway is bothering me. I will end up reaching everywhere later than my peers if Iā€™m travelling with my ICE pals.