Why are India's Tier-2, Tier-3 cities welcoming an EV driver's 10,000 km journey?

Promoting non-polluting mobility: With the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and non-polluting fuels gradually finding acceptance in India’s mobility and transportation ecosystem, 35-year-old consultant Sushil Reddy is on a mission to drive the length and breadth of the country in EVs to create awareness on sustainability. Apart from holding hundreds of interactions with students, for spreading awareness on sustainability and alternative fuels, during the last eight years of his road trips, Reddy also has many logistical records to his credit.

In an interview with Republic Business, Sushil Reddy, who recently drove a 6,000 km distance from Mumbai to the Kaziranga National Park in Assam and back to the country’s financial capital, in as many as 60 days, said his zest to create awareness on sustainability, with the help of initiatives such as “The SunPedal Ride”, have been welcomed by people across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in India.  Although EVs are yet to witness a noticeable penetration in smaller cities but people in non-urban India are keen to contribute to the government's objective to adopt EVs. 

Reddy, who held the coveted Guinness Book of World Records, for undertaking the longest electric bicycle journey till recently, says individual efforts are important to make EVs popular.  The avid EV enthusiast also has to his credit over 10,000 km of driving distance, panning across the country’s length and breadth. The road journey of this adventure enthusiast does not stop here. Reddy vows to continue his mission to promote electric mobility.

“It all started in 2016 when I took the plunge of promoting electric mobility. There has been no looking back since then. From Mumbai to Assam and Tamil Nadu to Kashmir, I have driven in an EV,” says Reddy. “It has been an enriching journey,” added the IIT Bombay alumnus who has studied sustainability. As per Reddy, the recent fanfare about electric mobility and the much-touted entry of American electric vehicle maker Tesla into India was a welcome step.            

SunPedal Ride

The SunPedal Ride is an outreach project to build conversations about sustainable mobility via endurance journeys undertaken on zero tail-pipe emission vehicles, says Reddy. Started in 2016 by Sushil Reddy, an IIT Bombay alumnus of 2013, Department of Energy Science and Engineering & HEC Paris 2020 alumnus MSc Sustainability and Social Innovation Program, the latest journey was done on the MG ZS EV electric car from Mumbai to Kaziranga National Park in Assam and back to the financial capital. 

A distance of over 9,000 km was completed in 60 days on the electric car. Sushil also stopped at 20 universities to share the journey experiences with students and answer some of the curious queries on e-mobility. “The idea is to learn about real-world challenges and share feedback with the e-mobility ecosystem. Sushil has a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest electric bicycle journey,“ said Reddy.

Mission Sustainability

As per Reddy, his road trips have been undertaken on electric bicycles and electric rickshaws, and but predominantly electric cars were used to complete the arduous and treacherous journey.

When asked whether he was connected with a government objective for the promotion of EVs, Reddy said: “  This is a cause led by me to promote low carbon transportation. While there is no direct association with the governments of any of the states that I have travelled across varsities and educational institutes of different states and Union Territories which I visited during my journey have enthusiastically participated in my endeavor,” added Reddy.  

Reddy says there is a great need to create information, spread information, and educate people on EVs as India is witnessing a transition phase, one that of shifting from petrol and diesel-run vehicles to those operated by less polluting fuels. Reddy is thankful towards each of his travel sponsors, automotive major MG Motor India being one to have provided him an EV for one of his journeys, he added.

“The 9,000 km journey from Mumbai to Assam was supported by five different companies. This mission is impossible without the sponsors and the educational institutes who lend support to me,” says Reddy.  The EV enthusiast is hopeful that apart from word-of-mouth publicity on EV promotion, he and his team are committed to compiling status reports after each road trip, which as per Reddy are submitted to think tanks for policy formation on EVs.