Category: Travel

Towards the end of April 2024, I drove my Nexon EV Max from Mahura, Bhubaneswar, Odisha to Kalimpong, West Bengal, about 1100 km. The passengers were my dog and me, and a lot of luggage, including camping gear. I’d say the weight of the passengers and luggage in the car was about 135 kilos. This is a trip report sharing my overall experience driving an electric vehicle over a long distance and hilly roads.

The purpose? To escape the sweltering heat of Bhubaneswar, and ride the summers out in the hills of West Bengal and Sikkim. I’m fortunate to have a remote job that allows me this flexibility.

Koraput is a town in southern Odisha surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, and forests. We travelled to Koraput from Bhubaneswar on my Tata Nexon EV Max (2022), which has a 40.5 kWh battery that can do around 300-330 km on a single charge. The passengers included my wife, our pet dog and me. We also had a bunch of luggage, a tent and a portable 5kg gas stove for camping.

Doing long trips on an EV in India can be challenging, depending on where you start and your destination. I share this trip report with the hope that it helps others planning to visit this scenic town. The report will focus on our drive to Koraput and some well-known places rather than the places themselves. If you are interested in a summary, you can scroll down to the overall trip summary section.

We made this trip in Oct, 2023. The blog talks about the state of charging at that period of time. Please check the charging infrastructure on Plugshare or other apps when planning your trip.