Would you drive to the world’s highest post office in an electric SUV? Most would refuse the offer outright. But the temptation to do so in the Hyundai Creta Electric was irresistible. We’d just returned from driving the Creta to Pokhran – celebrating the SUV’s 10th birthday and its ‘explosive’ performance in the country – but while that was a good drive, it had also left us wanting for more adventure. So this time we decided to drive the Creta Electric to the world’s highest post office!
And why not. Powered by a 51.4kWh battery pack, the Creta Electric boasts an ARAI-certified range of 510km, which makes it perfect for road trips, while building on the Creta’s decade-long legacy. A detailed route map with a list of charging stations was readied, with help from the MyHyundai app, and we were set to drive to the world’s highest post office. We’re talking about driving to the tiny village of Hikkim in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh, which sits at a dizzying 14,500 feet above sea level!
Our journey started with a quick bolt from the Delhi-NCR to Chandigarh, on arrow-straight highways. The Creta Electric was quick to offer the same, friendly and comforting feel we’ve known its ICE-powered versions to offer. Even more impressive was the fact that I still had 50 percent charge and a range of over 200km left, even 250km later, as the powertrain was returning nearly 9km per kWh consistently. This translates to over 450km on a single charge, which meant I could drive straight from Gurugram to Shimla, without needing to recharge the battery!
That said, finding a DC fast charger right next to the highway at Chandigarh called for a short break for me and a quick top-up charge for the Creta. Shopping malls, fuel stations and restaurants all offer DC fast charging today, ensuring range anxiety is a thing of the past. Chandigarh is also where the boring, arrow-straight highway made way for winding roads. And the Himalayan Expressway leading to Shimla is a four lane highway with bend after bend, which was helping me enjoy the Creta Electric’s performance and handling. Let’s not forget, it is the most powerful Creta yet, with 170PS on tap!
This is also where I was able to make the most of the multiple regen modes, especially i-Pedal. i-Pedal mode lets you brake by simply taking your foot off the throttle, and also offers maximum regenerative braking, adding to convenience and helping you recover charge. As I approached Shimla, a 45kW DC fast charger next to the highway was another opportunity for a quick top up charge, because you’re also consuming charge quicker uphill. A number of such fast chargers dotting my route meant I only needed a couple of short, 15-20 minute breaks on the way to Spiti, as the Creta Electric can go from 10 percent charge to 80 percent in just 58 minutes. And with the surroundings getting very picturesque courtesy the hills and dense forests with tall pine trees around me, I was feeling refreshed, even as the Creta Electric was affording rapid progress through Shimla’s traffic. The well-tuned suspension and plush seats were also soaking up the broken roads to ensure I was comfortable, even after hours of driving.
A few hours later, I was in for a pleasant surprise courtesy the MyHyundai app, as it helped me locate a newly installed 30kW DC fast charger just beyond Rampur Bushahr. The fast charger meant I could charge the battery to 100 percent quickly and drive straight to Kaza! Besides pin-pointing every charger around, the MyHyundai app had also eliminated the need to install multiple charging apps on my phone. On the other hand, Hyundai’s Bluelink app was multitasking for me – not only was it offering information about charging status and range and letting me lock/unlock the car or turn climate control on remotely, Bluelink was also enabling in-car payments for charging!
Just about an hour later, I had killed more than two birds with one stone – the Creta Electric’s battery was fully charged and so was my laptop’s, thanks to the SUV’s V2L or Vehicle to Load function, and managed to send out a bunch of important emails! V2L is a feature unique to electric SUVs and one that internal combustion engine powered SUVs simply cannot offer, and while the car’s battery pack was getting charged, I was also charging my laptop via the plug point below the seat. You can also use the Creta Electric’s external charging port to power coffee machines, LED TVs, exterior lights and more when camping, making the SUV apt for those who live the outdoor life.
Soon thereafter we got to Nako, which is where the topography changes from green to brown and barren, because Spiti is a high-altitude desert. But while it all looks dry and arid, the mountains and countryside look stunning, and you are crossing one mountain pass after another. But the Creta Electric was feeling effortless even at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, because unlike internal combustion engine powered SUVs there was no loss in its performance. Internal combustion engines are left gasping for air at the altitude, but power delivery courtesy the electric motor was instant and without any losses. Also, while I was losing charge climbing up the mountains, driving downhill on the other side was helping me recover charge and extend range, something possible only in an EV like the Creta Electric.
Getting to Kaza, which sits at 12,000 feet, made for a massive sense of achievement as it meant I had driven 800km already, with just 2-3 short charging stops! Hikkim was only 15km ahead, and I still had 21 percent charge left, good for driving another 70km. This meant I could have driven to Hikkim and back directly but I decided to play it safe and halt at Kaza for charging. There are no fast chargers in Kaza though, which meant I had to use a regular (16Amp) wall socket, which was going to take more than a day for a full charge! On the positive side this meant I would be able to acclimate myself before climbing up to Hikkim, which was crucial to avoid altitude sickness, as I was going to climb an incredible 2,500 feet across a distance of just 15km.
And once the Creta Electric was back to 100 percent the next day (and so was I!) I started for Hikkim. It was a steep uphill climb with no tarmac, and in fact the surface was akin to a rally stage. This is where being able to dial down regen levels came in handy, and I dropped Regen Level to 0 so I could hold a constant speed and maintain momentum. But discovering a pristine stretch of tarmac midway, which was also downhill, had me switch back to i-Pedal mode to recover some of the lost charge – this is an advantage only EVs can offer! As I closed in on Hikkim the sense of accomplishment was beginning to hit, and I was also glad I was driving the Creta Electric there, an SUV with zero tailpipe emissions.
The post office at Hikkim was opened in 1983 to help locals stay connected to the world, but visiting it and posting letters has become a bucket list item for travellers from around the world. Given its popularity, a new post office building has been set up, in the shape of a letterbox! As I ascended to view the large red ‘postbox’ I broke into a smile, knowing I had made it to the world’s highest post office, in the Creta Electric! Hikkim isn’t even a tiny spec on the world map but the government setting up a post office there, which has been functional for over four decades, is heart-warming. And to drive to the post office in an electric SUV like the Creta Electric – one of the only EVs to get there – felt heart-warming too! The drive was challenging, but by making it to Hikkim the Creta was also bearing testimony to Hyundai’s solid engineering yet again.
My journey had also helped in proving that even the remotest corners of the world can be reached in an electric vehicle today, given how good EVs like the Creta Electric are, and also how rapidly charging infrastructure is improving. And I guess, this was also the most special way to celebrate the Hyundai Creta’s 10th birthday!
