Driving in the Rann of Kutch
The record for covering the maximum distance by an electric vehicle on a single charge at the Rann of Kutch was set by Car & Bike driving the Mahindra XUV400EV. The designated driver was Ninad Mirajgaonkar.
It was the first electric vehicle (EV) to travel across Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. We are talking about the Mahindra XUV400EV, driven by Ninad Mirajgaonkar, and put to the test by Car & Bike. The attempt earned the organisers a proud place in the prestigious India Book of Records under the category of ‘covering the maximum distance by an EV on a single charge at the Rann of Kutch’. Ninad drove the SUV on March 23, 2023, at 6.19 am from Bajana — the Little Rann of Kutch, and ended at 6.34 pm at White Rann, a part of the Greater Rann of Kutch, after driving for 338.3 km across the Rann for 9 hours, 25 minutes and 41 seconds till the car had only 3% charge left. The vehicle was driven at an average speed of 35.9 kmph throughout the journey.
The Rann of Kutch is a large area of salt marshes that span the border between India and Pakistan. It is located in the Kutch district of Gujarat and is divided into the Great Rann and Little Rann. Many rivers originating in Rajasthan and Gujarat flow into the Rann of Kutch, including the Luni, Bhuki, Bharud, Nara, Kharod, Banas, Saraswati, Rupen, Bambhan, and Machchhu. Kori Creek and Sir Creek, tidal creeks which are part of the Indus River Delta, are located at the western end of the Great Rann.
Commenting on the drive, Ninand Mirajgaonkar, Head of Curated Content at Car & Bike, said, “Driving across the Rann of Kutch on a single charge was an enlightening experience. We started on the backfoot with unseasonal rains that made parts of the journey even more challenging with slush. Once we started though, the capabilities of the electric vehicle made it easier as we progressed through the day, not only were we always on track in terms of range, but by the end of the journey we were convinced that on everyday roads we will be able to extract even more range for the vehicle.”
During the record-making drive, Ninand kept his cool in pressure situations. His expertise in driving the INRC cars made him appear tough and composed all along the journey. Here, INRC stands for the Indian National Rally Championship, a rallying series organised by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). Not only the driver, but the vehicle also proved its competence in this attempt. The all-electric SUV features three driving modes — Fun, Fast, and Fearless. The driving mode was changed to fearless at certain patches to cover the ground rapidly. The vehicle comes with two variants — the XUV400 EC gets a 34.5 kWh battery pack offering 375 km of range, and the EL packs a larger 39.4 kWh unit offering a claimed 456 km per charge.