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Whether you're an avid birder or just a casual observer of the native feathered friends that visit your neck of the woods, you can now set up the ultimate high-tech feeding and water station that's also incredibly low-maintenance. However, you might end up with even more visitors once word gets out.

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Category: Outdoors, Lifestyle

Tags: Kickstarter, Birds, nature, Smart Home, Artificial Intelligence, Animals, Wildlife

Sharp Imaging has added a new family member to its pro-level X Series projectors. The dual-laser XP-X171Q should provide, ahem, sharp 4K visuals even in brightly lit rooms.

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Category: Technology

Tags: Projectors, 4K UHD, Laser, Sharp, bRight

California's Aventon hauled itself into the utility bike world last year with the Abound cargo ebike. Now the company has added a short-tail version, which comes with an all-new smart system for peace-of-mind security as well as enhanced connectivity.

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Category: Bicycles, Transport

Tags: ebikes, Pedal-assisted, cargo bike, Security

CFMoto's engineers have had their hands full. Its booth at EICMA had quite a few new releases on display, but the star of the show was a brand new, state-of-the-art 1,000cc V4 and a 'Master of Speed' superbike concept signalling the company's WSBK intentions.

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Category: Motorcycles, Transport

Tags: CFMoto, V4, Concept Motorcycles, Superbike, EICMA 2024, WSBK

The Cosby Show (TV Series 1984–1992) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.

simyo hat neue Aktionstarife im Rahmen seiner Black Friday Weeks aufgelegt.

These speeches aim to portray Muslims as a threat to other religious communities. The narratives hence paint Muslims as a community intent on depriving others of national resources, fostering discord and enmity among religious groups.

Divorces have always involved disputes over kids, homes, and assets. Now, social media is another battleground.

Do you find yourself waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning for no apparent reason? Don't worry, you're not alone! There's a simple explanation for this phenomenon.

For nearly 40 years, The Simpsons has entertained audiences worldwide and gained a reputation for uncanny predictions. Here are some predictions that came true.

Inflation on the Rise: भारत में खुदरा मुद्रास्फीति में वृद्धि और औद्योगिक उत्पादन में मजबूत सुधार के बीच एनडीटीवी की साक्षी बजाज ने भविष्य में आने वाले समय और दीर्घ अवधि में भारत की अर्थव्यवस्था की स्थिति पर बात की.

UP By Elections 2024: यूपी के उप चुनाव में अचानक से दो फैक्टर की एंट्री हो गई है. प्रयागराज में प्रतियोगी छात्र सोमवार से ही UPPSC ऑफिस के बाहर धरने पर हैं. आज सुप्रीम कोर्ट से बुलडोज़र एक्शन पर भी फ़ैसला आ गया है. तो सवाल ये है कि ये दोनों फ़ैक्टर चुनाव में कितना असर डालेंगे ! देश की सर्वोच्च अदालत ने बुलडोज़र चलाने पर गाईडलाइन जारी किया है. यूपी के सीएम योगी आदित्यनाथ “बुलडोज़र बाबा” के नाम से जाने जाते हैं. उनका बुलडोज़र मॉडल एमपी से लेकर असम तक चलने लगा है. प्रयागराज में स्टूडेंट अपनी माँग पर अड़े है. सरकार से बातचीत की कोई नतीजा नहीं निकला है. अखिलेश यादव कहते हैं जब देश में चुनाव एक समय हो सकता है तो फिर परीक्षा क्यों नहीं ! स्टूडेंट के विरोध के बहाने समाजवादी पार्टी की नज़र युवा वोटरों पर है. डिप्टी सीएम केशव प्रसाद मौर्य ने सरकार से अलग लाईन ले ली है. यूपी लोक सेवा आयोग का दावा है कि परीक्षा में गड़बड़ी रोकने के लिए नई व्यवस्था बनाई गई है.

PUBG Mobile 3.4 update features Bloodmoon Awakening and Zombie mode for Metro Royale Season 22, launching on Sept 11.

(Telecompaper) Telefonica has started offering a "secret" low-cost convergent plan that also includes access to the company's pay-TV service, reports website Bandaancha...

(Telecompaper) Exponential-e, UK provider of cloud, communications, connectivity and cyber security services, has secured a place as a supplier on the new Crown Commercial Service (CCS) G-Cloud 14 Framework...

(Telecompaper) The UAE national domain, .ae, has achieved 347,000 registrations, says the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, which manages the domain...

(Telecompaper) Teraco, a Digital Realty company and provider of interconnection platforms and colocation data centres in South Africa, announced that construction...

Keep the fun alive this winter with the best water guns from Nerf, Spyra and more for epic, shriek-inducing water fights.

Mortgage interest rates moved in opposite directions, but one benchmark rate trailed off. Rates change on an hourly, daily and weekly basis.

Refinance rates were mixed, but one key rate declined. Experts expect refi activity to go up as rates drop.

Tempur-Pedic Luxe Breeze is one of the most premium options out there, but is it the right one for you? Here's everything you should know before hitting the buy button.

It's normal for your eyes to change as you age, but these four expert-approved tips can help improve your eye health.

Are you suffering from chronic back or joint pain? The Saatva Rx Mattress -- a premium pillow-top bed -- might offer an effective zonal solution. Here's more about it.

I've tested Nokia's revamped 3210 and have the answers to the biggest questions on this 2024 retro phone.

Een drukke week voor Meta, met nieuwe AR/VR-producten op het Connect-evenement en een nieuwe escalatie van het 'fair share'-debat met de telecomwereld...

The new report Dutch Business User Insights provides a snapshot of Dutch users of business services, with a clear focus on ICT services such as VPN, cloud, Teams and use of AI. Many employees have embraced the hybrid way way of working and this effects employer's choices of which ICT services are needed to facilitate this hybrid working.

This report estimates the size and value of the Dutch video market, consisting of both the traditional pay-TV market (TV) and the internet-based (over-the-top) services market (OTT video). It offers an overview of Dutch consumer TV and video revenues in the second quarter of 2024, and compares the findings with results from previous quarters.

This report shows the spontaneous and assisted brand awareness of video services in the Netherlands during the August 2024. We also look at what is top of mind. Brand awareness is an important indicator of how successful existing and new brands are in their marketing. It is an essential first step in convincing consumers to take out a subscription. The following brands are included: Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV+, Discovery+, Disney+, ESPN, Film1, HBO Max, Kijk, Netflix, NLziet, NPO, Pathé Thuis, SkyShowtime, Viaplay, Videoland, YouTube, Ziggo Sport Totaal. 

The report provides a comprehensive overview and insight into the Dutch consumer multi-play market  in the second quarter of 2024, and compares the findings with results from previous quarters. We analyse the Dutch telecoms markets from a bundling perspective. We report on the number of 1P, 2P, 3P and 4P subscribers, based on both company reports and our own calculations and estimates.

This report provides insights into usage of customer service apps from telecom providers. We report on the service apps for the following brands: Ziggo, Vodafone, hollandsnieuwe, KPN, Simyo, Odido, Simpel and Ben. Data is from August 2024.

In the Telecom Business Market Insight report Telecompaper analyses the Dutch business telecoms market, focusing on quantitative data up to Q2 2024. It offers a transparent and objective overview of the business market, through detailed insights into retail revenues and customer numbers. These are split into different types of telecom services.

The report FTTP in Belgium 2024 describes the current state of the Belgian FTTx market. The latest edition covers the period ending 30 June 2024.

(Telecompaper) The European Union has committed to contributing EUR 4.6 million to assist Colombia in defining a satellite communications scheme, announced the country's Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (Mintic). The project is part of the plan to increase Colombian's internet penetration...

(Telecompaper) S4C, Welsh free-to-air public service broadcaster (PSB), has announced the appointment of Geraint Evans as its new CEO. He is currently Interim Chief Content Officer and leads the broadcaster's commissioning team.

(Telecompaper) MultiChoice Group says that revenue increased by 4 percent year on year to ZAR 25.4 billion on an organic basis in the six months to September thanks to disciplined inflationary pricing and revenue growth for new products. On a reported basis, revenues declined by 10 percent, hit by foreign...

I’m thinking of buying a new car, but I’m confused between the Audi A4 and the Audi Q3 Sportback. The A4 is a bit cheaper, at Rs 46 lakh, but it’s going to be discontinued in 2025. The Q3 Sportback is a bit more expensive – Rs 50 lakh – but it’s newer and might hold its value better. What do you think I should do? I like the A4 a lot.

Purav Patel, Nashik

Autocar India says: Both the Audi A4 and Audi Q3 are good cars, but we would pick the A4 because it’s nicer to drive. In fact, the A4 is the best luxury sedan in its class thanks to a smooth and peppy engine, exceptional ride and a solid build. The Q3 is more practical if you are driving mainly on rough roads, and it has a more comfortable back seat – the A4’s a bit cramped at the rear. We understand the resale value concerns, but we would still pick the A4 over the Q3, and that Rs 4 lakh saving could offset the lower resale value when you eventually sell it.

Also See:

2022 Audi Q3 India video review

2022 Audi Q3 India review: Back with a bang

2021 Audi A4 facelift video review

2021 Audi A4 facelift review, test drive

Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z real world fuel efficiency

Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z: fuel economy analysis

Autocar India’s fuel efficiency testing

After having run wonderfully well for nearly its entire duration with us, the Ather 450X Gen 3 is unfortunately returning to its maker on the back of a flatbed, having thrown up a rather unusual glitch at the end of its tenure. As described in our previous report, the scooter downloads and installs updates overnight, but only completes the process the next time you turn the scooter on. Having returned from 10 days outside the country, I turned the Ather’s key on to be greeted with a message about the scooter completing an update. However, after remaining on this screen for about 5 minutes, the scooter then delivered a message saying that the update could not be completed, following which the TFT display showed the regular home screen.

When trying to put the scooter into a forward riding mode, it refused to cooperate. The process to start riding involves simultaneously pressing a brake lever and the starter button. But even after doing this, the scooter remains in Park mode, and keeps flashing a message saying “Press Brake + Start”. Neither a hard reset nor a full shutdown and restart has been able to rectify this issue. And an attempt to reinstall the latest update was thwarted by the fact that the Ather Connect subscription for our scooter has expired, removing many of the TFT screen’s features, including OTA updates. Speaking to the company, we are told that the glitch has been caused by the fact that the Ather Connect subscription has expired.

Ultimately, this experience serves as a prudent reminder. All the smart and connected tech that’s being showered on e-scooters these days certainly brings in a great deal of convenience and security. But at the same time, it also brings with it increased complexity, and the potential for software errors and glitches like this to present themselves. In extreme cases, these can prove to be a serious safety issue, as we’ve seen with the Ola S1 Pro – going backwards while being in a forward riding mode and vice versa. And in less severe (but still quite upsetting) cases like on the Ather, they can leave you and your vehicle stranded, even though its battery is full of juice.

For the most part, the 450X’s software package has proven to be one of the more robust and bug-free systems around, but clearly, even the best in the business is not entirely free from flaws. Software glitch aside, the 450X has proven to be an excellent companion on daily commutes. Its combination of zippy performance, extremely accurate range predictions and a slick user experience have been an absolute delight. Many of these highlights are also present on the more recent and more affordable 450S, but that scooter removes some of the excess complexity by sporting a simpler LCD screen in place of the TFT. It will be joining our long-term fleet soon, so stay tuned for a detailed account of how that scooter fares in the long run.

It’s been a few months since our last report on the Xpulse 4V and the odometer has nearly doubled in that time. Most of the miles were down to regular trips to and from Pune, but there was also some off-roading and regular commuting thrown in.

Mostly though, the bike went through a full monsoon with it being parked out in the rain for some long periods. That did take a toll and we had to have the switchgear replaced after it stopped functioning properly.

The rainy season also proved to be a bit too much for the Reise tyres we installed earlier this year. The 50/50 tyres were superb off-road and on-road  grip levels were decent in the dry as well, although the tyres did ‘feel’ quite strange in how quickly the bike fell into lean compared with normal road tyres. However, the combination of rain as well as Mumbai’s atrocious slippery concrete roads resulted in a fairly uneasy, skittish experience.

In fact, the bike did get involved in an accident on the road, but instead of poor grip, it was down to a poorly driven rickshaw that decided to swing across a multi-lane road at the last minute without any indication whatsoever. While that resulted in a broken bone for my unfortunate colleague, the Xpulse took the impact remarkably well.

The engine guard has always annoyed me off-road because it gets in the way when you’re sticking your leg forward, but it did a good job in this instance. The guard got bent but took the brunt of the impact and kept the bike safe.

In that sense, the Xpulse does feel quite robust in general, but quality levels are a bit basic. Things have improved over the years, but you can understand how Hero has always managed to price this 200cc dual sport close to 160cc street bikes. The paint quality could be nicer and our windscreen also developed a rattle, which began before the accident.

In terms of reliability, things have been decent, but not completely incident-free. In our last report, we mentioned how the bike refused to start, which was diagnosed to be a faulty lockset that needed replacing. Since then, the clutch started to throw up issues and it felt like there was no clear bite point, which made things tricky in traffic. After a few visits to the workshop, this was diagnosed as an issue with ‘spring activation’.

Overall, the Xpulse has been an enjoyable all-rounder that has managed to be a frugal commuter as well as a fun off-roader. The nicest aspect was its simplicity and lightweight – the latter is something that becomes all the more apparent when you ride the big, new Himalayan 450. Sure, the Hero can’t come anywhere close to the Himalayan in most respects, but it’s a lightweight, affordable and cheerful motorcycle, and there will always be takers for such a machine. It will be missed.

Also See:

Hero Xpulse 200 4V long term review, third report

It’s been an interesting time for the Autocar India long-term fleet off late. Only about a month back, we had more bikes than people to ride them and since then, as many as four motorcycles have returned to their manufacturers, including my last long-term Bajaj Pulsar N250. That only left Rishaad’s Himalayan long-termer in the fleet and I had to resort to public transport. 

Not for long though as the Xtreme 160 4V we had last year is now back on duty. The bike had gone to the company for a while and it came back to us at just the right time. In that time, the bike did gain a few scuffs on its easily marked matte green paint, but it also had its first service done, which cost Rs 570 – a big chunk of it was for the oil change and labour was free.

My first impression of the Xtreme was that it’s a great-looking bike and that feeling still remains. The muscular tank, split seat, sharp headlight design and the golden USD fork give it that sporty and purposeful stance. Though I’m not a fan of this colour scheme, it has grown on me over time. I particularly like the grey paint on the tank, which has a lot of sparkle and is finished well.

I’ve had the Xtreme for a couple of weeks now but have only been able to add a few hundred kilometres since. Blame our travel-intensive schedule for that. And hence, I haven’t been able to calculate the fuel efficiency yet. We did an in-depth road test late last year during which the Xtreme 160R 4V returned 44.4kpl in the city and 47.5kpl on the highway. I’ve only ridden in the city, and more enthusiastically than we do on our efficiency runs. So realistically, expect the efficiency to be around 35-40kpl, which is still good. 

I also really like the ride quality of this bike. It’s supple and not overly soft or hard, which makes riding over Mumbai’s broken roads a fuss-free affair. The seat is nice too, if not a little too soft for my liking. The engine is also refined and has a good mid-range grunt.

The gearbox, however, is something I’m not gelling with as well. Firstly, it’s geared very short, so you’re constantly upshifting and/or downshifting, which gets tedious after a while. It also isn’t the slickest and you need to slot it into gear firmly. Otherwise, you can get a false neutral; something that’s happened to me quite often. I can also feel the clutch slipping on occasion, which wasn’t the case when we had the bike earlier. This may have been caused by riding on half clutch for extended periods when the bike wasn’t with us. 

The other irritant was the LCD screen. It’s a negative screen, and positioned away and at an angle from the rider. This means that it picks up quite a lot of glare from the direct sunlight overhead making it really hard to read on the move. The solution is to cover the top of the screen with your hand, which will then reveal the info on the display.

To sum up, in my short stint, the Xtreme 160 4V has been a reliable and affordable means of commuting. But I’m hoping to discover more things about it as I spend more time in the saddle. Perhaps a long ride is on the cards. 

My daily commute involves a mix of both highways and narrow streets, and the Xtreme 160R 4V—my first long-termer at Autocar India—has been great for the most part. I also had the opportunity to take the Xtreme 160R 4V on a little road trip from Mumbai to Pune, but more on that later. The bike’s USD fork suspension is one of its highlights as it is not only good-looking but also irons out a majority of broken roads.

What also helps me dart through jam-packed traffic is its agility, which makes my commute engaging. Bunny-hopping over extra-high speed breakers or encountering the occasional dirt patch doesn’t disturb the Xtreme 160R 4V’s composure.

Another highlight for me is the fuel efficiency—40kpl—as it keeps me away from the petrol pump. The Xtreme 160R 4V is also a handsome-looking motorcycle and is only held back by its easily tainted matte paint scheme. The seats, too, are well cushioned and cosy during my commutes, but they will give you saddle soreness on longer journeys.

During my road trip, I discovered a majority of its drawbacks, starting with the lack of a 6th gear, although none of its rivals have one either. The Xtreme 160R 4V will happily cruise at triple-digit speeds, but it feels a little high-strung. And if long highway rides are part of your plan, you should consider a bike from a segment above.

The other complaint is that the negative LCD is illegible for the most part, and I often had to lean over or block out the sun with one hand before I could view any information on it. As an experienced rider, it didn’t bother me too much, but those who are new and dependent on the gearshift indicator will find it tedious.

Speaking of gears, the gearbox tends to hit false neutrals, although I’m not sure if the issue is just with our unit. The headlight performance is adequate, but it won’t impress you. However, if you can look past these drawbacks and keep your rides limited to the city, the Xtreme 160R 4V can be a great commuter and is rather pocket-friendly. Its ride quality alone is enough to win you over our poorly constructed roads.

Also see: Hero Xtreme 160R 4V long-term review, 2,500km report

 

“What do you mean we can’t leave?” Not that it’s a complaint, given our current location – the gorgeous Vivanta Dal Lake View hotel atop a hill overlooking Srinagar in Kashmir. But right off the bat, this was the first of a mercifully precious few hiccups in an otherwise meticulously planned journey. It turns out severe landslides have all but wiped out a section of the highway to Jammu, and it will be closed for a day while the authorities clear things up. Luckily, we’d budgeted some buffer days on this journey, which we would need to pull off something like this.

They say the two types of cars you simply cannot take on a road trip across India are a sportscar and an EV. We’re attempting to do just that in a car that is both – the Porsche Taycan. And it’s not some casual jaunt to a hill station over a weekend; this is the mighty K2K or Kashmir to Kanyakumari – over 4,000km from the northern to the southern tip of India. And before you ask, no, this is not a race against time or a test of range. In the real world, you do road trips comfortably, and that’s how we planned this.

So one extra day in Kashmir, huh? I’ve only so much as laid eyes on this Frozenblue Metallic Porsche Taycan once, at its launch in November 2021, so this is a good chance to get to know it better, I think. And what I get to test right off the bat is how good it is at being a Porsche. Twisty mountain roads, narrow, but decently surfaced, and since we don’t have any vast distance to cover today, I’m allowing myself a bit of fun.

Taycan Drive Kashmir to Kanyakumari: Srinagar to Jaipur

– Gavin D’Souza

Straight into Sport Plus mode and off we go. What gets me first is the steering – a hallmark of every Porsche. In Sport Plus, it makes no concessions to lightness in the quest for the ultimate feedback. The whole car feels just so tightly wound in a way that no EV I’ve driven before has, and this is not even the mighty Turbo S. There’s a purity to how this base, rear-wheel-drive model drives, and its 326hp is ample without feeling over the top. Some breathtaking views and a fair few hairpins later, it’s time to put the car back on charge and head off in search of a Kashmiri dinner.

The following morning, a proud 100 percent and 370km of indicated range showing on the screen, we’ve got the all-clear from the highway authorities and we’re ready to flag off. But first, a little matter of packaging. The 84-litre frunk can hold a surprising amount, but as we’re going on a long trip, we’ve packed some extra charging gear – including a custom-made 15A extension cord, just in case. It’s the 407-litre rear boot that, impressively, swallows up two week-long bags and then some, despite also housing the space-saver spare tyre.

Our exit from Srinagar is far more subdued than my little jaunt from the day prior, as we settle down nicely with the ‘Normal’ drive mode. I make sure to turn brake regeneration on, however, as it’s all downhill from here. As the kilometres tumble, the indicated range stays more or less the same, which means we’re driving this car more efficiently than the last person – me, yesterday.

The roads up here are heavily militarised, and it’s not unusual to be stopped for long spells to allow convoys to pass through. It happens on more than a few occasions, which gives the local sellers of apples, shawls and cricket bats enough opportunities to accost us with their best possible deals. It’s not long before they turn their attention to the blue bolt, however, and the conversation changes from bargaining to wild curiosity.

The road to Jammu takes us through the 8.45km long Qazigund-Banihal tunnel, among several others, and before long, we’re in Ramban district, where those devastating landslides took place. The authorities have done a tremendous job of clearing the road, but it’s still something of a mucky minefield, and the first real test of the Taycan’s go-anywhere ability. Thankfully, air suspension is standard for India, and raising it a few times lets us navigate the watery ruts left behind by the heavy truck traffic. That slowdown and the many traffic stops meant it’s after dark as we roll into Jammu for the night.

An uneventful driving day suddenly turns tense as we encounter heavy water-logging in Zirakpur, Punjab.

We thought the most eventful part of this journey was behind us, but we’re in for a surprise. For the most part, the journey to Chandigarh comprised superb, wide highways and superb road surfaces. But as we enter Zirakpur, the sky breaks open with some of the most intense rainfall I’ve seen all year. Visibility is non-existent, other road users are in a panic, and huge ponds of standing water begin to emerge out of nowhere. And then, after a long traffic jam crawls us towards a blind junction, the penny drops. A huge water-logged stretch spreads out before us and we have no choice but to wade through. It’s already taken a few vehicular victims, abandoned in the middle or to the side, but we push on. I’m quickly reminded that with this being an EV, there’s actually less chance of internal powertrain damage, as there are no intakes or exhausts for water to enter through. Still, it doesn’t stop my heart from being lodged firmly in my mouth, and once we’re finally clear and into Chandigarh, we inspect the car, and all is well.

It’s an absolute breeze getting to the Capital the next day, and although quite uneventful, the long, smooth highway gives me a fun game to play. The Taycan, unlike most EVs, actually has two gears in its transmission, the second being an overdrive for better efficiency on the highway. Putting the car in Eco mode actually lowers the suspension for better aero, and it’s here that I start chasing my new favourite number on the screen – the km/kWh reading. Much like kpl, a higher number is better, and in my experience with EVs so far, anything above 5km/kWh is good. Coming down from Kashmir meant we were already doing a pretty good 6.2, but by the time we roll into Delhi, I manage to take it up to 7.1km/kWh!

As we dock into a fast-charging bay at a large fuel station in the heart of the Capital, the unexpected happens. Car enthusiasts, two, three, four at a time, start to pull in and fill up; they serve 100-octane here. As it turns out, they’re all on their way to a Cars and Coffee New Delhi meet-up. It’d be silly not to go and check it out, and when we do, we’re treated to an incredibly warm welcome from scores of enthusiastic car owners. The Taycan is the only EV there, of course, and parked amongst internal combustion’s finest, it’s a great way for all of us to unwind.

My brilliant 7.1km/kWh figure is quickly eroded the next morning as progress is brought to its knees by Delhi traffic. An EV is technically more efficient in traffic than an ICE car, but nothing could be efficient here. After a quick spin around India Gate, it’s time to make our way to Jaipur. While Rajasthan’s highways are generally some of the best around, the monsoon seems to have taken its toll, and we’re regularly engaged in a game of dodge the surprise pothole. It’s back up to Comfort mode and mid-height suspension, I think. The final stretch to our hotel – thanks to some of Google Maps’ finest botchery – is on a tiny village road, replete with traffic snags and annoyed locals. But now that I’m so well acquainted with the Taycan, it’s as easy as driving a family hatchback.

Taycan Drive Kashmir to Kanyakumari: Jaipur to Mumbai 

– Jay Patil

Starting the second leg of the Taycan K2K drive was pretty much like being the second runner in a 4x100m relay: vastly underrated and little in terms of excitement. The flag dropped and in true relay fashion, Gavin started off in the twisties of the north that straightened out as he passed me the baton. It was bittersweet, to be honest, considering the Jaipur to Mumbai leg is mostly flat with only a handful of bends thrown in to break the monotony. And going by Shapur’s review, the Taycan, despite being an all-electric Porsche, was one that offered the full experience.

 It’s mostly big highways and open roads, but we often have to go off the beaten path on this journey.

My straight jaunt to Mumbai started off from the quaint Devi Ratn Resort in the beautiful city of Jaipur. Beautiful it was, right until the clock struck 9am and traffic clogged the picturesque but narrow streets. Nursing the Taycan out of the city amidst the parking  sensors’ greatest hits was nerve-racking and a gentle reminder that it wasn’t going to be a road trip like in the movies with just long looping highways.

What most of the Jaipur-Mumbai stretch looks like. An arrow straight ribbon of tarmac.

As we got out on the highway, I could relax and stretch the Taycan’s legs to get a feel of the zero-emissions Porsche. My first thought was of disappointment, because there was no exhaust purring away as I squeezed the accelerator. What was surprising, though, was how adept the Taycan was at cruising speeds. It exudes a feeling of a superb long-distance tourer that makes light work of hundreds of kilometres. As it munched on the miles and kept washing them down with lithium-ion juice, my range anxiety too was tapering slowly. The Taycan’s battery management is superbly calibrated and it gently sips on charge as you trudge along. But, of course, on long, straight highways, there would be a change in drive mode every once in a while. While Comfort is the ideal setting for a drive like this, Sport Plus is where the drowsiness of a lengthy road is eradicated. However, while the instant torque does make for cheap thrills, there are only so many times you can enjoy a shove to the body.

With my eyes peering out in the distance for some corners, we entered Udaipur, and my hunger for a few twisties was temporarily satisfied by some spicy Laal Maas.

An extremely comfy night at the wonderful Taj Aravali Resort and Spa made sure I was fresh for the next day when we would be leaving behind Rajasthan and entering Gujarat.

Long charging times, especially without fast charging allow you to have a relaxed meal.

The start to each day was methodical and started by filling out a log for each day’s trip and charge reading. Udaipur was yet another breezy drive, until we needed to recharge. You see, when you are on long drives like these, even the most diligent planning can go for a toss. And so it did when we reached the charging location at a remote, under-construction hotel. Now, recharging isn’t as effortless as parking your car and plugging it in. There can be some rough patches there too. We found out the hard way as we plugged the car in and realised we were out of network. This rendered online payment impossible, and just as we were about to lose all hope, Rahul decided to walk around and managed to find one bar the traditional way – one arm in the air. If that wasn’t enough, there was a power cut at the hotel, which halted the charging. As ironic as it was, a diesel generator was used to power the charging station, but the entire process of rebooting the charging software, with the weak network and fluctuating power supply, cost us a good chunk of time. Fingers crossed, we hoped the car charged as fast as possible and started prepping for a night drive into Gujarat.

As we set off, I made good use of the Taycan’s straight-line prowess and as the sun bid adieu, we crossed into Ahmedabad.

Taycan Drive Kashmir to Kanyakumari: Mumbai to Satara

– Hormazd Sorabjee

With the Taycan’s 79.2kWh battery topped up to 100 percent charge via our wall box charger in office, the first stop of the day was Pune. After a ceremonial flag off of the southern leg of our K2K drive at our office by Manolito Vujicic, head of Porsche India (also my co-driver), we eased the Taycan into Mumbai’s rush hour traffic towards the expressway. Two nasty speed breakers just outside office saw the Taycan pass the ground clearance test with flying colours. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway was where the Taycan came into its own, silently and swiftly slicing past traffic. That Mano and I were engaged in animated conversation throughout was evidence of the Taycan’s ability to gobble miles without any drama. Truth is, though it was a quick drive to our lunch stop, deliberately chosen not far from a Tata Power 25kW charger, I wasn’t driving this Porsche like a Porsche. That would be saved for the Khambatki ghat after Pune. We arrived in Pune covering 165km and with a 63 percent charge.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was part of Taycan’s Mumbai darshan.

Lunch at Sayaji hotel took a little more than an hour, enough time for the Taycan’s battery to get upto 99 percent. Driver and car nicely fed, we made brisk progress on NH48 and reached the bottom of Khambatki, where the fun would begin in earnest. Camera team in position, Sport Plus mode selected, a pause for a gap in the road and wham. Acceleration is quick but not super quick (this is not the Turbo S but the base model), but the handling is just next level. The wide, smooth and curvy uphill one-way section of Khambatki was the ideal playground for the Taycan. The way it dives in and out of corners, the purity of the steering, the flat and composed ride was just incredible. In fact, it was so much fun, that we did the Khambatki loop twice.

The car and the journey got a thumbs up from everyone.

Twenty kilometres later, we were stopped by the police, not for speeding but because they wanted to have a look at the car. The blue Taycan was making all sorts of friends wherever it went!

Exciting Taycan came into its element on ghats en route Satara.

Flat-out uphill driving did take its toll on the battery, but when we reached Satara, a good 140km after our last top up, we still had 54 percent charge. I left the inconvenient job of finding a charger in Satara before calling it a day. Any regrets? I just wish I had more time to have driven it all the way to Kanyakumari, I was just getting warmed up.

Taycan Drive Kashmir to Kanyakumari: Satara to Kanyakumari 

– Nikhil Bhatia

I’d been following the Taycan’s adventure through India via Instagram thus far and had been itching to be part of the proceedings myself. Satara is where I gleefully joined car and crew. I’m no stranger to the highway we are on (it’s part of the route to Goa!), but I was a stranger to the Taycan. I’d not driven one before and there really wasn’t any time for an ice-breaking session with it either. A quick run through of the Taycan’s four screens and some of its quirks like the unusual position of the light switches beside the instrument screen was pretty much it. Thing is, as I find out almost instantly, the Taycan is a car that puts you at immediate ease. It’s very 911 in that sense. Frontal visibility is excellent, the beautiful bonnet ‘buttresses’ are a great reference point, and the driving position is spot on. I think I’m going to enjoy my time in the Taycan!

The Gogte Plaza charging station at Belagavi supplied cleanest energy.

The drive to Belagavi is smooth and ends with a charge at the Gogte Plaza charging station. Set up beside a solar field that powers it, with windmills churning away in the distance, it’s the ‘cleanest’ and greenest of our charging stops. I hope it’s a model we see replicated over the larger journey to electrification. The roads improve as we charge on deeper into Karnataka. Our average speed is up, travel time is reduced and what that means is a lot more can be packed into the day. Our stop at Davanagere is well spent in the quest for the best Benne Dosa – butter dosa with butter level Pro Max! Ahem, some of us may have packed in a kilo or two over the drive.

Resplendent Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru is a must-see.

It’s on the way to Bengaluru that it hits me – range anxiety hasn’t hit me yet! Save for a range check at the start of each day, I’ve not paid much attention to the number over the course of three days of driving. EVs minus their most notorious stress point are a win in my books. A charger in easy reach just sweetens the deal. Luckily for us, Taj Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru, our halt for the night, is home to EV chargers.

There was just no getting around Bengaluru traffic.

Our plan of a late exit out of Bengaluru to avoid the early morning rush is met with partial success. We get a good run to the resplendent Vidhana Soudha, a must see, but it’s a crawl for the rest of the way out. The Taycan’s natural silence has a calming influence in the madness, I can tell you that.

The day’s driving has us enter Tamil Nadu, the final state on our journey. My devious plans to beat Gavin’s efficiency record are quickly aborted. The road is super-smooth and there are some wide, sweeping corners too. It’d be rude not to enjoy it to the fullest. Sport Plus dialled, the Taycan quickly (quickly being the operative word) reminds me it’s a Porsche first and then an EV. That gorgeous balance to the handling is just so, so rewarding. It’s only later that I realise we weren’t all that far from Kolli Hills, the 70-hairpin hill climb. Talk of a missed opportunity!

Zeon Charging’s RFID-enabled interface was really user-friendly.

It’s smooth sailing from Salem to Madurai. Again, it’s the road that impresses and what’s also reassuring to know is that we are never too far from a fast charger. The EV charging network is denser in the south. We use Zeon Charging’s 50kW charger, and it’s a joy to see the car ‘tank up’ so quickly, relatively speaking. The Taycan can accept charge at up to 225kW, which, infrastructure supporting, can give 100km of range within 5 min of plugging in.

I’d have loved to stay on to explore the temple city of Madurai and the historic Taj Gateway hotel we were staying at, but there’s a futuristic car waiting for me and a journey to complete. Today is the day we drive to Kanyakumari.

Gorgeous final run was almost ceremoniously lined with windmills.

I do feel for poor Gavin and Jay, but I think I’ve lucked out with the best roads of the entire trip. The surface is brilliant and the icing on the cake is that the traffic has thinned out the further south we’ve come. This is my last dance with the Taycan and I sure as hell make the most of it. Gorgeous skies and a forest, and I mean it, a forest of windmills on either side of the road lead us into Kanyakumari.

It’s a busy Sunday evening at the southernmost point of mainland India, but we politely creep our way forward till we make it to Sunrise Point (incidentally down the road from Sunset Point) and have the iconic Vivekananda Rock and Thiruvalluvar statue in view. This is it! Job done! Manolito Vujicic, who is donning two hats – of Porsche India head and a wide-eyed tourist – joyfully flags us in. Curious bystanders, and there are hordes of them, can’t comprehend our drive all the way from Kashmir, let alone one in an EV.

To us, the 4,467km journey has been epic in so many ways, but one of many learnings too.

Our Taycan lived an entire life in those 4466.5km.

For one, isn’t it gratifying to know we have the roads, at least many, to really enjoy a Porsche on? Then there’s the EV infrastructure. There’s no arguing here because there’s still a long way to go, but the fact that the Taycan did the trip from Kashmir to Kanyakumari without burning a drop of petrol or diesel, or needing any form of external assistance should tell you we’re surely headed in the right direction. And it cost us ‘only’ Rs 15,422 in charging. Fast charging isn’t cheap, but you’d be spending in multiples on fuel with a similar powered petrol car.

Bustling Kanyakumari was a place of quiet reflection of one epic journey.

As for the car. What a machine. We put it through everything. Rain. Shine. Good roads. Bad roads. No roads. The Porsche Taycan took everything like a champ. We knew it’d be fast and exciting, but what we’ve come to appreciate is how India-friendly the car is. Ironically enough, the Taycan’s impressive real-world range meant the whole journey wasn’t as much of an adventure as we anticipated it to be. And that is no bad thing.

Who said you can’t road trip in a sportscar or an EV?

Also see: 

Porsche Taycan India review: The best driving EV in the world