PUSHING BOUNDARIES: PART II

After India's hottest border, we conquer India's coldest border with the Hyundai IONIQ 5!

- ABHAY VERMA

Among all the cars I have driven this year, I think it's the Hyundai IONIQ 5 that I have driven the most and in the most varied of conditions. Driving it to Longewala in Rajasthan had me drive the IONIQ 5 for well over 2,000km, effectively, also making the IONIQ 5 the first EV to be driven to the country's hottest border, in peak summers, with the temperatures hitting a scorching 50 degrees Celsius! Following that, the plan was to conquer India's coldest border at the Siachen Base Camp in the IONIQ 5, to have it become the first EV to be driven to India's hottest and coldest borders both, another round trip of nearly 2,500km! Of course, then there's the fact that driving to the Siachen Base Camp, which sits at about 12,000 feet above sea level (and is also the world's highest battle camp!), was also going to be very different from driving to Rajasthan. Rajasthan is all about flat and vast, arid landscapes that have arrow-straight highways cut through them. Not much of a task in an electric vehicle with not much to worry about except for the searing heat. In hindsight, the IONIQ 5 aced it, delivering an excellent range per charge despite the extreme heat.