Dec 13, 2014

Celebrations!

Its the anniversary month for both, us and the car... Life has been very rewarding. 

Its been a year at driving the most fascinating car and we are very happy to say the least. We have met great enthusiastic people as a result of owning this car... Cheers to all! Shared experiences, gave interviews and look forward to more.

Here is our stats for the month.

Join us in our celebration!!! 




Aug 4, 2014

E2O Driving Statistics

Oh, its been an awesome month driving in the rains... and at the end of the month we even get statistical report from the company about our drive and its footprint on Earth.

Experience with driving an electric car and keeping in touch with the company on a regular basis in this manner is an unusual experience. They have been very forthcoming about any concerns we may have as far as E2O workings are concerned. With Maruti (the car I owned), I didn't experience the same.

I have realised that its very difficult to earn Eco-Points in a place like Mumbai, coz the moment you are on the road, you have to deal with a lot of pollution and heat. So air-conditioning has become a basic requirement, irrespective of the weather, which leads to more battery power consumption and less earning of Eco-points (check the link to my earlier post)... though people all around are doing a good job of earning the same.

Regen is a boon. We have many times gained back energy in terms of battery power on our rides to South Mumbai. Check the stats below...




Jul 31, 2014

Still Going Strong

2300 Kms, 7 Months and still going strong.

Heavy rains in Mumbai have not been a cause of concern as the E2O has big wheels and is high enough to pass through deep water clogs. No leaks, no electrical disruptions. It all works just fine. Its a good sturdy car.

Felt a little push at times going over the Bandra - Worli Sea Link bridge where the winds are very strong. You can feel moving off the lane if you don’t hold the steering strong enough. Reminded me of the super hero movies specially Avengers where cars just fly off the bridge. LOL! Didn't feel dangerous though.

The other day, we were just admiring our car parked next to the Nano. We wanted a small car to go around the city and Nano was one cost effective option as the city car. After driving and owning the E2O, there has been no looking back.

E2O parked next to the Nano


Jul 2, 2014

iWork Rocks! So does Apple

Apple never stops at anything less than the best and it surprises me each time I experiment. The iWork tool (substitute for Microsoft office) is getting better each day.

With the new operating system, Numbers (spreadsheet App) gets more and more intelligent and efficient at all that I want to do.. Long gone are the  days when we opened up formula bars and searched for the right equation and inserted them ourselves. The crazy, curly bracket closings, and the hyphenations that used to take the most out of me are a thing of the past now... I am so thankful for that. hahahha!

Check this clip.. Its definitely a great example of their many slogans "It just works"...



Here trying to calculate the square feet area and the corresponding amount... Its all about clicking at the right cells and 'Tadaaaa' its done... I can just select the row I want to preserve and enter the calculation.. its just takes care of everything else.

I highly appreciate such easy efficient ways of doing things and now I can store them all online on iCloud and access them from any device or edit online too ( like Google Drive but with better editing).


May 13, 2014

The time to be happy is NOW

At 'The Yoga Institute', Raphae and I attended the 7 days Health Camp where we were introduced to a healthy, daily lifestyle which they suggest should include some 'Vihaar' everyday...

Vihaar is any active hobby, cultural activity, some entertainment that makes one happy. Reading, watching TV are not included as it's a passive activity. Vihaar could be a walk everyday where you enjoy the nature around, cycling, swimming, painting, dancing, gardening. According to me even driving is an active hobby if there is no road rage involved. The long rides, drives with family and friends; discovering new places and people...LOL!

So, during one of the days in the Health Camp, we were all made to form a big group and sang this song...

'The time to be happy is now,
The place to be happy is here,
The best way to be happy-
is to make someone happy
And to make a little heaven right here'

It was melodious, then we were divided into smaller groups and each group sang the lines alternatively... only to realise that the impact is much better when we all sing it together..

Its a beautiful day today, and I am singing this song on my own... Join me. :)

May 10, 2014

Extending Range

We have now driven close to 1500 kms. Now we would like to extend and go a little further than what the current range would take us to. We have never reached the stage where we need to use the "Revive" option, thats because we are planning our trips before hand, being pro-active about charging and not even thinking of driving beyond the range and re-charging the car once its outside our garage.

Just contemplating, that instead of the company investing heavily in infrastructure for setting up charge points at various locations, collaborating with Cafe coffee Day's for quick charge points; would it not be profitable both to the company and the customers to have the Sun2Car facility available? It takes a lot on the customers part to wait for things to get implemented - like charge points on highways that can enable us to go a little further than the driving range, or reduce range anxiety.

We drive, we experience, so we suggest!




May 6, 2014

Apr 21, 2014

E2O 1100 kms

Very happy to have travelled and grown with our car e2o which is now a 1100kms old.

Raphae and I have started travelling more, going for night rides more because its a pleasure to drive the car. No traffic jam is any longer worth a road rage. We got stuck in a traffic jam the other day at 11pm but we were in bliss. No fuel consumption worries, no idling costs.

We look forward to the Fast Charge Stations by Mahindra at various important junctions, then we will be able to travel longer distances.

Mar 27, 2014

Strange experience with Money

Today we were out in the city and at various junctions had very strange experiences with people who wanted money from us for some or the other reason. :)

We reach Cafe Coffee Day for a sharing session at Bandra Kurla Complex. After not finding a shade to park under, we just parked the e2o along with the other parked cars. This security guy came up to us out of no where and asked for some chai pani. He was threatening us that it will be our loss if we don't pay, and the municipal tow car will come and take away the vehicle. I was convinced and willing to pay him the little buck that he was expecting from us but these guys was firm enough to not pay. No rules were broken nor was the car parked in a wrong way. After a brief exchange of words and re-threatening him, we moved on without paying. I was left thinking how the world can twist you a certain way if we ourselves are not sure of our actions.

It reminded us of an incident that happened with us in the pay and park at Colaba where I argued with the guy for charging me 100 Rs instead of 20Rs which was printed in the receipt. He took 20Rs but did something to the car's functioning that left me stranded for quite sometime on the road in the night, just a few inches away from the car park.

After a good round of coffee, we headed towards Juhu Beach for the evening walk. These days, a new business of photography has started on the beach. Vendor guys come up with their SLR cameras and they click instant pictures for a price. We had our own camera, so we asked the guy to just click a picture for us.. Having done the same earlier, we knew these guys don't mind clicking digital pics. Its easy money for them. He did a good job. We paid him well but he wasn't satisfied. Wanting to guilt us, he just threw the money on the sand and walked away. We didn't pick it up nor did we turn to see if he did.

Its a strange world and money has strangely taken over all of us. Come to think of it, this piece of paper drives people's moods and emotions, may be even lives. What say?

Feb 28, 2014

Eco Points

"The secret to living healthy is consistency" they say. Driving in the fast lane all the time is not only unhealthy for us but also for the car.

Gone are the days when I want to slam the accelerator and race with another vehicle coz by driving sensibly I am not only saving my battery life in the longer run but also earns me eco points. Each time when we drive with an efficiency of 90 WH/KM or less, we earn an eco point. Mahindra says, as we accumulate eco points we should stay tuned for some surprises from them coz its their way of affirming that nice drivers win always.. ;) Check out the website screen capture below.

We have earned eco points by travelling both short distances and long. So it takes an average of the entire days ride. Speed range has been upto 70 kms as well, so it doesn't mean we have to drive slow. It just takes a little extra effort to know the e2o better. E20 owners can check the tips and tricks on their personal logins.


Mumbai is the perfect place to drive this vehicle thanks to the amazing flyovers. So when we go downhill it regenerates.. The traffic jams are no longer a terror coz each time I brake it goes to "regen". hahahaha! We have at times travelled 32kms and consumed only 26% of battery as a result of this amazing feature of regeneration of power. Its amazing how this car has changed our perspective about travelling on Mumbai roads.

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I look up to this e2o user - Mr Kamlesh Mallick from Pune. His e2o -"Eva" is 6 months old and has travelled more than 5000 kms.. It helps to know one who experiments like we do. He has earned a remarkable 79 points from his drive so far. An eco-friendly, consistent driver...







Feb 4, 2014

e2o Owners

As I look back, I recollect ever since we decided to buy the electric vehicle, our search for EV owners started… to want to know their experiences, the ups and downs they faced in real life scenario, what kind of situations they faced with traffic and the true facts about the working of the vehicle. We, personally had lots of questions unanswered, there was anxiety, confusion, uncertainty along with lot of excitement and determination to take this step ahead… Some people were very forthcoming, some didn't answer at all…

Then, we came across Plug in India and an e2o owner Mr Kamlesh Mallick. His experiences, his videos helped us answer our questions, and we had an outstanding support from Mahindra guys as well… Our calculations and understanding was beginning to match up with reality…

After many test rides and long phone calls with the sales executive about our queries; we bought the vehicle. Hurray!

Few days back PluginIndia shared our reallifestory : http://www.pluginindia.com/reallifeevstories.html

That the 'One', as seen from the flat.

Vacation Mode - Phone App for e2o


Another amazing feature with the Mahindra e2o is its 'Smart phone application'. The e2o app works great on our iPhones. It gives all information that an e2o owner would need about the car.. Shows distance the car can travel at a certain charge, Charge points, temperature levels, Switch on / Schedule the airconditioning, Revive battery charge in case of complete discharge and much more…

What is most amazing is the provision to set the car on 'Vacation Mode'... It kind of lives the lifestyle you live... So, if you are on a vacation then why shouldn't the car enjoy the same status ;) haahhaha!



On our trip to Vadodara we had plugged in the car and kept it on 'vacation mode' using the phone app. Amazingly! it took care of our battery charging while we were away on another destination. It brings down the charge to 20-30% and hibernates till it gets the command to charge back… We even extended our vacation and it worked. So on the day of our arrival to Mumbai, it charged back to 100% and was ready for us to drive around.

What effortless control and ability to interact with the car… It amazes us each day and can't wait to explore more.

Feb 1, 2014

Bike Ride

"Its time we hit the roads again. Its been sometime now", said Raphae one day… We were in the process of buying the car and december being december 13, we drove to Vadodara on the Royal Enfield Electra…

I think Royal Enfield really thinks for the pillion rider…The seat is the most comfortable one, so far on a bike..

The roads are awesome and the traffic very sensible, maintaining rules all the way… It was chilling in the morning and winds gushed through us.. Fortunately we were pre-warned and had proper gear for the winter ride.

The roads are no longer a mystery to us, having driven a number of times on this stretch.. So, We stopped at our very usual Manor junction - The Silver Miles.. (1-1/2 hr ride from home).. We have been visiting this place ever since it was being constructed. Its a good hygienic place. On the bike, it becomes even more essential to take the brakes at regular intervals even if there is no tiredness so the small "bum-brakes", "by the way waterfall brakes" during the journey are a pleasure to stop for even if fatigue hasn't set in.

Our gear - The Saddle Bags, Gloves, Helmet, Balaclava, Leather Jacket and The Attitude to Live and Let Live
We continued our journey for our next main stop at Vapi. The Bharuch bridge was undergoing some repairs so we had planned for a de-tour. By the time we neared Ankleshwar, we were told to just go straight and not take a de-tour to Rajpipla.. Trusting the locals we went straight. The NHAI team was doing a good job of handling the traffic and diverting it wherever necessary.. so we had no trouble crossing the bridge. We reached Vadodara by 4pm.

Well constructed roads with proper banking and emergency facilities. It has improved a lot over the years. The landscape is undoubtedly beautiful and traveling on the bike is an added adventure.

Thats us, taking a short brake on our return trip to Mumbai. We anticipated a lot of traffic and couldn't have gone wrong with that judgement. So were trying to fill our lungs with fresh air to last us until the next trip out of Mumbai. LOL!

The one-way distance covered was 410 in 8 hours including the leisure brakes… It always ends us making us stronger, courageous and allowing us to face the world head-on.

In many ways the bigger transport vehicles, inspite of being the king-of-highways, have given way to the smaller cars…

Saw many accidents, and witnessed one right ahead of us… The 8 wheel truck- trailer that we were about to overtake, had an old tyre that blew off.. It blasted throwing a lot of debri and stones. Fortunately for us, it was the middle wheel so the truck didn't go off-balance, nor did the particles hit us.. they went sideways.. Raphae was attentive enough to move off its way… Later, a conversation with another bike rider made us realize the gravity of the situation.. Alls well that ends well.

When the mist (read pollution) encircles you at toll booth, you believe it's heaven, for you have come closer to home after a long challenging ride.. When you see the high rise buildings, and the green patch of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, you think life is good. When you see the planes take off and land right over your head, so low that if you jump high enough you can touch its base, you know its time to celebrate for home is just a hop away.. Ironically that hop took us 1-1/2 hour to reach… So close and yet so far. TRAAAFFFFICCCC!!!.

As they say - "The roads to success are always under construction"

All in all - A great ride, a successful trip to / from / in Baroda…

Next: Vacation Mode in e2o

Jan 30, 2014

Mahindra Reva e2o meets the Cops

Buying an e2o is an experience in itself and the beginning of enriching experiences to come..


Its been a pleasure so far to drive the 200 kms… and have received varied compliments from friends, colleagues and people around.

Just near our neighborhood one day, was stepping out of the car when a passerby asked. "nayi gadi che?" (is it your new car?), 
"Saari che, Ketla ma leedhi?" (its nice! how much did you buy it for?) 
I smiled and said 7 and a half. 
To which he raised his eyebrow, doing his calculations in his mind.. the very next question was the expected one - "Mileage ketlo aape che" (how much mileage does it give?)
Now my turn to surprise him. It runs on battery, I said.. He didn't know what to ask next as his calculations went for a toss.. Just passed by expressing that I bought a very expensive car. Saw him mumbling as he kept walking ahead.

Few days later at Andheri Check Post - The cops held out their hand to stop the car and I had to oblige not knowing which law I had broken.. (just had the insurance cover and rough registration papers then).. Skeptical about the cops not understanding that the car doesn't need a PUC, I was preparing for all the explanations I would have to give them and in someway have to pay the fine for whatever reason…
To my surprise they were interested in the car I was driving.. Having not seen one ever before on road… The usual questions; what the car was about and no gear, no fuel, no exhaust pipe, no PUC made the conversation interesting.. never had so much fun being interrogated…
For the first time in my life, I talked to the cops without having broken a law and without being fined.. LOL!

Then the e2o visited the fuel station… of course! not for refueling.. Gone are those days!!  :) We went there to fill nitrogen in our tubeless tyres… the 15 minutes there were hilarious.. visitors and onlookers gathered.. Interesting to find so many people feel for the car.. Their tit-bits - whether registration of an EV vehicle is required or not, about the pick up of the car, space and interiors, its body and the color (its not a paint).. 

I do think there is a big market for EVs… Just need to project it right..


Next: Bike Ride to Baroda...





Jan 28, 2014

Our new Car - The Mahindra Reva e2o

We finally decided to buy the electric vehicle as another step to our goal of Clean, Green and Responsible Lifestyle. Mahindra Reva E2O is also a clever and convenient vehicle. ;) You will soon know how and why.

On 12th Dec we got the possession of this exciting new creation and design by Mahindra Reva.. With a warm welcome and celebrations we were handed the keys by the manager of NBS International, Mahindra's Andheri showroom, Mumbai… Some memories…


Raphae chose the color and had kept it a surprise for all of us.. The anticipation to unveil the car was high. It took me sometime to let the feeling sink in.. What an amazing feeling that was :)

Keys being handed.. one for Raphae and the other one for me ;)


Were given gifts for the car. 

The staff at NBS joined us in our celebrations… Mr Anand Vaishya, Mr Adil and e2o manager Mr Subrodo went out of their way to help us solve our questions, doubts. Their support has been remarkable all the way.

Now the excitement begins… They gave us a quick photo frame as a token of remembrance of this landmark in life. 12-12-13 at 18:03pm.

Raphae drove the car back home. Our entire family had been awaiting the arrival of e2o and they heartily came forward with us for joy rides which lasted till 12 in the night.. Oh! what a memorable day..