Re: Tata Tiago Electric Review So finally did a proper highway run with the Tigor EV on Sunday, 7th January. Route:
Trivandrum Central - Thiruvallam - New NH all the way to Karode- Kaliyikkavilai- Mandaikadu Temple - Kumarakovil Temple - Nagercoil
Back via the same route Specs before start off
Charge : 100 % ( slow charged previous night)
Regen Level : Set to 1
Tyre Pressure : 35 PSI ( Front), 38 PSI ( rear)
Tyres: Stock Apollo ones
Wheels: Updated to lighter Uno Minda Alloy wheels with negative offset, so the front track is a bit more wider
Passengers : 2 people with a combined weight of 150kg
Luggage: Nil
Start time : 9.15 am
End time : 3:00 pm
Ambient Temperatures ( per car reading) : 35 to 37 degrees
Average speed ( as per Z connect app) : 31 km/h
Driving time : 5 hours
Top speed : 93 km/h
Aircon Setting - 24 to 26 degrees depending on our comfort Travel Purpose:
The main purpose of the visit was of course temple darshan plus to try out the newly opened section of the NH from Kovalam to Karode. Also the Tigor EV has never had a proper long distance non stop journey till date and wanted to see how much kms we can safely travel without hypermiling or eco driving. Trip Details:
The NH road section is a beauty and sparsely trafficked, so a joy to drive. However, things come to an abrupt stop at Karode and you are back to single lane slow moving old highway where traffic was surprisingly thick for a Sunday ( mainly due to Sabarimala season i think).
One point to note is that the weather was super hot and humid , so AC was on full time and set to cool us properly ( no Eco mode) , as the sun was beating down on us from the front glass onwards and during return.
As many people from Trivandrum know, we took the detour via Thiruvallam ( to avoid the toll!) and joined the NH before Kovalam. I was NOT looking for max efficiency, just drove in regular fashion anticipating traffic and trying to maximize energy recovery from regen without using friction brakes.
I had to use occasional bursts of sport mode ( 10 times in total from 10 seconds to 30 seconds) for quick overtakes on single lane stretches and for getting up to speed quickly on the NH. Fuel or rather Charge Efficiency details:
Total Distance Covered : 177 kms
Efficiency ( see pic below) : 117 wh/km
Remaining charge : 17%
Average km obtained per 1% drop n charge : 2.13 kms per 1% charge So, THEORATICAL range one can safely travel with AC on ( 100% to 10%) - 192 kms ** I never see the point going below 10% as it goes into limp mode with snail's performance and no AC, this is not a practical point to measure range at the cost of discomfort and inconvenience to fellow passengers. Driving Comfort:
Now, the biggest advantage after the operating cost , is the drive comfort. Absolutely no vibrations or engine noise or clunks when changing gears. Not to mention the butter smooth steering and the joy of ALMOST one pedal driving. In fact this is felt most in constant stop start traffic conditions peculiar to Kerala where much of the roads are still narrow and single lane.
Next is the comfort for the co passengers. First they are not aware of what speed you are travelling at (hihi!) and since there are no jerks, my dad was sound asleep after lunch on the return leg ( he never sleeps and is usually super vigilant on kerala roads).
This is over and above the usual Tigor advantages of compact size, good aircon and stable highway manners ( further enhanced by the new alloy wheels)
Only minus is tyre roar on the concrete sections of NH and the odd trim rattle over rough roads ( the trim rattles on my Tigor are not fully fixed yet).
Overall the impression is akin to driving a much more expensive car Savings:
If i had to take my Brezza for the similar journey, assuming I will get 15 km/l ( at best), I will have to spend at least 12 liters of petrol 12 liters of petrol : 109.42*12 = 1313 rupees
180 kms of electric ( I am going for the higher delta of 1km = 1.5 rupees) : 180*1.5 = 270 rupees Savings : 1313 - 270 = 1043 rupees !
Remember , this is the saving over just ONE small local trip. Conclusion:
Petrol and diesel cars are indeed fun as I grew up in it ( everything from Matador Ambassdor to BMW) , but now I am at a point where I struggle to appreciate their benefits apart from nostalgia sake, especially for a crowded city guy like me.
Last edited by Nanolover : 8th January 2024 at 10:50.
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