Transition of my garage to EVs: Tata Nexon EV & Ola S1 Pro

Driving these vehicles is just peaceful, you can really enjoy your music, or just relax due to the near absence of vibration.

BHPian fuzzydealhunter recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Wow!! Did not think so many Team BHP members would be so opposed to vehicles going electric based on the replies on other EV vehicle threads. Thought I would share our story to see if it helps ease concerns for some people.

Before anyone comes to me with the fact that most electricity is from renewable fossil fuels let me tell you that we have invested in a 5kw on grid solar installation for our house. So we are indeed fueling our cars with renewable energy. Also, I would recommend watching the wonderful video by the PluginIndia team, so we can educate ourselves.

As someone who owns a Nexon EV as well as an Ola S1 Pro, let me tell you the ride comfort these vehicles give is nothing if not that of a couple of segments higher. I have come to realize there are 2 premium types of customers for cars: One that wants the noise and the other that does not want any. I fall in the latter category.

Driving these vehicles is just peaceful, you can really enjoy your music, or just relax due to the near absence of vibration. All you can hear is the road noise and the billion Royal Enfield Bullets on the road.

We are getting close to the 9000 km mark with the Nexon EV and our family absolutely loves it. We switched from a Fortuner, and I would put the ride comfort of the Nexon EV close to what the Fortuner offered. So far we have had no issues with regards to the car.

The Nexon EV won out just based on the pricing vs the other EVs in the market. Dad loves the Harrier and wanted to leave room for a Harrier EV if and when its created.

Yes, range anxiety can kick in if you are driving in directions where there are no fast chargers but so far we have been blessed. Since we have bought the car last year, the number of fast chargers has only gone up. Completed a journey of about 450 km recently to a hill station and back for a low sum of Rs. 1,045/-. We don't usually factor in the cost of charging at home as we usually have credit with the electricity board due to the solar installation.

This beauty came in yesterday and oh my is it intoxicating to ride. It picks up speed effortlessly like the Nexon EV does. Speeds of 70 kmph are achieved like it is nothing. I did not find any flaws in the build quality, and the one that was delivered to us has been great so far. The value proposition for us was that its got a good performance to price ratio with a low running cost. The Honda Activa we have gave roughly 100 km for Rs. 200 before the petrol prices decided to follow the stock market and now it gives 100km for Rs. 300. The Nexon EV is cheaper for us to use than the Honda Activa, but the Ola changes the equation.

Please spare me the:

• "But you have to charge it?" - Do you forget to charge your phone daily? FYI you don't need to charge your vehicles daily.
• "Most electricity is fossil fuel sourced" - Yes but we are producing our own.
• "Lithium ion mining is pollution" - Yes please tell me how much lesser pollution oil creates.
• "Electricity prices will go up" - And petrol/diesel prices will not?
• "You have to wait to fast charge" - I usually take a driving break every 200 km or so anyway. This gives me a reason to refuel. I would suggest everyone who drive long distances to take a break if possible as well. Driver fatigue is a major cause of road accidents.

Yes I understand there will be those of you who drive 1000 km daily, for whom EVs will not be right for fit for as it stands right now but this will change. Our driving is low and thus this group of vehicles fits our needs. We have budgeted money to hire cars to get us to places that we cant drive the EVs, but we have not had to draw down on it so far.

I would recommend everyone who enjoys ICE engines to enjoy them as they are now, but please do not discount EVs. These are just our reasons for this plunge into EVs, I am sure everyone's circumstances are not the same, but I welcome the opportunity to help others understand EVs better as change is the only thing constant. I would recommend everyone to get a test ride to understand the difference as the experience will change you.

We can only control our own actions, and so please do not think what difference does your efforts to be sustainable make.

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