There is a way to drive an EV; as a long-term ICE driver, it took me time to realise this.
BHPian rajivrao recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Hi guys! I am the proud owner of a Matte Gold Hyundai Ioniq 5. Got the car on the 18th of last month and did a drive from Navi Mumbai to Udaipur on the 21st. The car is amazingly smooth and stable, high three-digit speeds can be reached without realizing or effort and the looks from bystanders and other car owners are just too good.
My learnings from the long drive are:
- Plan the trip. Use PlugShare app and pick the charging stations.
- Prefer charging stations with hotels as you could rest there.
- Tried out different companies and Jio BP fast chargers were the best and Xobolt was a very very close second. Unfortunately, Xobolt hasn't reached the west and south yet. Static was the worst! Got two not working chargers at two different places, Though the helpline tried to sort things out for me!
- The real-world range of the I5 is around 430 to 450 kms. The most practical way that I realised was to stop for a charge every 200 kms or 3 hrs of driving. It takes roughly 30 to 45 mins to recharge back to 90% (I recharged till 90 - probably because I wasn't sure of the range) on a 60kw fast charger and you are good to go.
- There is a way to drive an EV, as a long-term ICE driver, it took me time to realise this. This is most important on highways or plain roads where we are used to putting pedal to the floor. In an EV, regeneration is important and you need to step off the gas regularly, yet maintain speed.
- Pedal works like a charm, especially when stuck in a traffic jam! Lost only 1% charge when stuck in an hour-long traffic jam at 1 pm in Udaipur. The climate control kept us very cool.
- The lane assist needs getting used to and can get irritating at times; but once you get the hang of it, it is useful!
- Adaptive cruise control works beautifully, but getting the dial to 1 or 2. 4 is useless in India.
- The car is a real stunner! The number of people who come up to you and discuss the car, take photos and pose with the car and actually stop driving to have a look at the car is mind-boggling and can get amusing at times. Too many people honk to get your attention and then compliment you for the car!
With this car, I am confident in going on long drives; I drove from Navi Mumbai to Udaipur - Kumbalgarh - Statue of Unity - Navi Mumbai over 8 days.
It's a beautiful car to drive, very spacious, seating everyone comfortably and more than enough boot space!
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