I have a Vision Board at my clinic, which has the image of the Mahindra Reva e2o. It took me over 2 years of convincing my Dad to actually get my hands on it! September 1st, 2017 is when I got my first EV. I actually deceived my Dad under the pretext of some work and took him for a test drive of the e2o! The drive quality was so good, the decision got pretty much made. My dream of adopting a sustainable way of travel was fulfilled and Mahindra being an Indian company gave me an added sense of pride.

While using an i20, my fuel expenses were through the roof. As I commute on a daily basis, I can say I have easily saved up to 4 lakh rupees of fuel since I’ve switched to EVs. After using the e2o for almost half a decade, one thing I’ve realized is that being an EV owner is all about managing the battery life. For the e2o, 1% can mean 1KM but I have managed 7KM in 4% as well, so its entirely about how you drive and learning to estimate the range as you keep using the vehicle. I even ended up taking it to Sinhagad Fort once! In 4 years, the battery quality has deteriorated by merely 5%! I am sure this vehicle will easily last for another 15 years.

Recently got the MG ZS EV for myself, so ended up giving the e2o to my assistant. With the range that the ZS EV offers, I completely forgot about “range-anxiety”. I got it just a while after it launched, but unfortunately we met with an accident in that car. It was a rear end collision where another car rammed into mine at the speed of over 100KM/H. My friend and I blacked out due to the impact, but since the airbags deployed, we got off with some really minor bruises. What is surprising is that even after an impact at such a high velocity, the battery pack of the vehicle remained unharmed. 

EVs are truly a blessing especially when you are venturing into forested areas. Thanks to no engine noise and zero vibrations, all you hear is the water splash and the whoosh of the breeze! It just enables you to become one with nature.

As doctors, we have a lot of influence on the decisions our patients make. Seeing your doctor own an EV is bound to plant that idea in your head as well. And with the cars that are coming to the EV market now, I am sure I will have some weightage if at all any of my patients decide to get an EV.