One of our EVJoints users, Hari Krishna, recently set out on a five-day monsoon EV road trip across Shivamogga and Chikmagalur in his Tata Nexon EV. What makes his journey special is not just the 2,000-plus kilometres he covered, but the ease with which an electric car handled ghats, rain and even a few impromptu detours. We’re sharing his experience here to reassure fellow EV owners—and anyone still on the fence—that EVs aren’t limited to city commutes; with the right planning, they’re perfectly at home on long, scenic road trips too.
EV Owner: Hari Krishna
EV: Tata Nexon EV Empowered+ 45 kWh
Trip dates: 26–31 August
Route: Mahabubnagar → Bellary → Shivamogga → Chikmagalur → Hyderabad
Intro – Chasing Clouds on Battery Power
Western Ghats in the rains are pure magic. This loop from Mahabubnagar to Shivamogga and Chikmagalur promised forests, heritage temples, misty hilltops and hidden waterfalls — and I wanted to see how my Nexon EV would hold up over ~2,000 km. Spoiler: it was effortless, and the journey itself felt cleaner, quieter, and more connected to the landscape.
Day-by-Day Journey
Day 1 – Mahabubnagar → Bellary → Shivamogga
I set off early with a full charge (100% SOC), drizzle tapping on the windscreen. The stretch till Bellary was uneventful except for a few patchy sections between Kurnool and Bellary.
Stop & Charge: Statiq M&M 60 kW at Bellary (via Statiq app). Out of range anxiety, I topped up again for 15 minutes at Shivaganga even though I could have managed without it — first lesson: trust the car’s estimate.
By evening, I rolled into Harsha The Fern, Shivamogga. A warm welcome, plush room, and best of all, dual Relux DC chargers (120 & 60 kW) right in the parking lot (~₹20/kWh). Dinner was room-service comfort food while rain misted the windows.
Day 2 – Jog Falls, Ikkeri & Nipli
Morning SOC: 98%. The road toward Jog Falls curled through lush ghats and dripping forest. Jog itself thundered even in drizzle — the kind of sight that humbles you. On the way back, I wandered into Ikkeri Temple and Nipli Falls, detouring on a whim. That’s the beauty: EV or ICE, a road trip is still about following curiosity.
Returned to Harsha The Fern with ~32% SOC, plugged in over dinner, and slept to the sound of rain.
Day 3 – A Slow Day at Sringeri
Charged back to 97% and glided toward Sringeri. Temple bells, river breeze, and the calm of a centuries-old matha; I lingered. There’s a direct road from Sringeri to Chikmagalur, but I decided to return and start fresh next day. Simple, content, dry clothes, good coffee.
Day 4 – Heritage & Hills → Chikmagalur
SOC: 95% at start. The highway unwound past sugarcane and tiled roofs to Amruteshwara Temple at Amritapura — quiet, intricate Hoysala stonework. Then Halebeedu and Belur, each a gallery in granite.
By dusk, I reached Hotel Aadrika, Chikmagalur (Jio-BP 60 kW charger, ~₹19/kWh). Ate at the hotel — hot dosas while rain lashed the courtyard. Checked into a Treebo, functional but next time I’ll explore other stays.
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Day 5 – Mullayanagiri & Baba Budangiri, then Homeward
Pre-dawn, 96% SOC. The climb to Mullayanagiri and Baba Budangiri was surreal: fog so thick I could barely see 10 feet, waterfalls tumbling right by the road, clouds wrapping the car. It felt like driving inside a dream.
After lunch, I charged back to 98% at Aadrika, bid goodbye to the hills, and began the long glide back.
Return Stops:
- BPCL Bommagondanakere 120 kW (~₹14 incl GST)
- Attempted Statiq Kurnool (access glitch)
- Voltran Beechupalli 60 kW (~₹20/kWh)
Reached Hyderabad early in the morning, tired but grinning. The Nexon never missed a beat.
What I Felt on This Trip
- EV travel isn’t about “range anxiety” when chargers are well-placed — it’s about range awareness.
- Locals were curious and welcoming. Hotel staff asked questions, some posed for photos with the car.
- The quiet of an EV in the hills made me notice birds, rain, temple bells far more than engine noise ever would.
- Spontaneous stops — Ikkeri, Amritapura, Mullayanagiri — felt just as natural as with any petrol car.
Trip Stats (for the EV nerds)
- Total Distance: ~2,024 km
- Total Charging Cost: ~₹5,465 (~34% of petrol cost at 16 km/l)
- Average Efficiency: ~7.8 km/kWh (DC heavy)
- Primary Charging Networks: Relux, Jio-BP, BPCL, Voltran, Statiq
- Highest Single-Session SOC Drop: 98% → 32% (Jog Falls loop)
Key Learnings
- Trust your SOC – modern EVs predict range accurately.
- Apps matter – EVJoints for trip planning, PlugShare for fallback, OEM apps for live status.
- Carry an AC travel adapter – hotels are often happy to help.
- Weather adds spice – drizzle and fog made the ghats unforgettable.
Charging costs are a fraction of ICE fuel spend — this entire run was cheaper than one big restaurant bill.
Closing Thought
As the wipers swept aside yet another cloud at Mullayanagiri, I realised the EV wasn’t holding me back — it was bringing me closer to the journey. Silence, rain, and winding ghats: the Western Ghats belong on every EV owner’s bucket list.
At EVJoints, we believe long EV trips don’t require extreme range—just smart planning with the right trip tools.
Have an EV road-trip story? Email us at admin@evjoints.com. We’ll feature it to inspire fellow EV owners, help new adopters feel confident, and show how every trip supports charging-point operators—driving the growth of the entire EV ecosystem.
