Electric scooters are often considered suitable only for short city commutes due to concerns about battery range and charging availability. However, a man from Mangaluru has challenged this perception by completing an extraordinary long-distance journey on an electric scooter. Automobile journalist Girish Shet has created history by riding more than 12,000 kilometres across India, earning recognition from both the India Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records.
Girish, a resident of Bejai in Mangaluru, achieved this feat after travelling across 16 states on his EV scooter, showcasing the potential of electric vehicles for long-distance journeys.
Girish covered an impressive 12,111 kilometres during his 53-day journey on an electric scooter. He began his ride from Bengaluru and travelled to Chennai before heading across several major cities, including Kolkata, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Delhi and Ahmedabad, as part of his nationwide expedition.
He started the challenging journey on April 12, during peak summer, and successfully completed it on June 15.
Sharing his experience, Girish said that despite facing extreme summer temperatures of around 45 degrees Celsius, the ride was largely smooth. He did meet with a minor accident during the journey and required a brief hospital stay, but he maintained that the overall experience was not difficult.
"My EV scooter's battery never gave up on me, not even once," he said.
For the record-breaking journey, Girish used a Hero Vida VX 2 electric scooter. He said the vehicle consistently provided a range of more than 100 kilometres on a single charge.
Girish explained that he planned his travel stops around charging facilities. At fast-charging stations, the scooter took around one and a half hours to charge, while at other locations, he used charging breaks to rest before continuing his journey.
A passionate cricket fan, Girish received support for his journey from Hero Vida, which is also an official sponsor of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). As a special recognition of his achievement, KKR awarded him a ‘Golden Ticket’ that allowed him to watch their matches across India.
Using this opportunity, Girish attended 10 KKR IPL matches during his nationwide EV scooter journey.
With his remarkable 12,111-kilometre ride, Girish Shet has secured a place in both the India Book of Records and the Asia Book of Records, highlighting the growing possibilities of electric mobility in India.
