On a quest to stretch legs

Our long-term MG ZS has been put through its paces within the city for almost three months. I've been wanting to drive it out of the city limits but still not wanting to waste time charging it at an unknown place. After enough thought and a little planning into it, I set out to utilise its driving range to the maximum.

Consistent with more than 300km always!

Given the manageable driving range is 300km without any fuss, I had to look for that average return distance. Mumbai-Lonavala-Mumbai was doable, so I planned to stretch it out to Pune and back. And fortunately, I easily did 344km on that trip without charging and with the juice percentage down to a single digit. All of this is on a mix of normal and eco driving. The MG's system remained absolutely stable all the time and never did the AC go off to conserve energy.

And with this excursion, I mustered more confidence to go on more jaunts to Lonavala, Karjat, and even Alibaug, all without bothering to charge anywhere on the way. Then, despite using the sport mode to sprint across fast sections quickly, the ZS easily did more than 300km consistently. Now, being in the driver’s place for a long time I realised cooled seats would have made the journey more enjoyable with the already comfortable seats. Not to mention, easy mounting points helped in putting a child seat firmly in one place. And then, a large boot accommodated a full-sized pram. No compromises in dealing with family demands even on a long drive.

Entertaining and helpful

Apart from experiencing an EV on these long trips, I realised a few more things about the ZS. Especially, the onboard systems that kept me engaged. First is the instrument cluster that gave out precise information without having to peer eyes. And though there's a different stalk behind the steering wheel to set up cruise control, it's quite easy to get used to. Then, there's this huge infotainment touchscreen. We've spoken about its practical bits earlier and let's talk about its engaging bits now. When in 'P' mode, the high-resolution screen plays images and videos that kept me entertained in the long traffic snarls in Mumbai. Play it through the internet or just plug in a memory device. There's even an inbuilt app that reads out news for you on the go. Another useful feature is navigation, which precisely estimated the range till the destination entered, to help plan better. And there's quite a lot of customisation too, including a wallpaper of your choice. Just plug in the USB and store the files.

Charging issues and anxiety

Despite the MG ZS being dependable till that last mile, the lack of public charging points everywhere will be of concern for owners. And that's the case with every EV owner. However, what MG has done differently is the support that they provide, both online and offline. The centre screen shows all charging stations around, but if you need help from a human, you can press the asterisk button on the steering wheel. You'll be instantly connected to call centre support, be it day or night. Apart from sending location coordinates and POCs for charging stations right onto your screen, they can even send a mobile charging vehicle to your location to provide quick charging to reach a nearby charging point. Otherwise, there’s the option of towing your vehicle. And all of this at no additional cost. Now, that's a delightful service for a user who's troubled and already stressed in such a one-off situation.

Still, a long way to go

We've had our fair share of experience with the MG ZS EV over a span of three months. Though it's still a difficult task to compel me to completely adopt EVs, the MG ZS EV has fairly succeeded in helping me transition from ICEs to EVs. It's practical for daily use, spacious, quick and easy to drive, helpful with driving aids, and more importantly, reliable at all times. The only problem with EVs is the lack of infrastructure to easily provide charging everywhere and at affordable rates. Yet, I'm quite hopeful that this will soon be catered to, making EV adoption easier and more relaxed. Till then, see you next time ZS, probably with an enhanced range and ADAS, in a more desirable avatar.

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi