Bengaluru man’s EV expedition catches Anand Mahindra’s eye

Jothi Viknesh, 32, is attempting a world record by travelling 19,000 km in an electric rickshaw.He has clocked 11,500 km so far

A Bengaluru man’s world record attempt for the longest journey in an electric autorickshaw drew the attention of industrialist Anand Mahindra recently.

Praising the vehicle, part of Mahindra’s fleet of e-rickshaws, the industrialist tweeted on May 7: “The blue of the Mahindra #Treo merging with the crystal clear blue sky… Perfect. A picture of the way the world OUGHT to be…” The post has logged over 170 retweets and 2,800 likes since.

“I was hoping Anand Mahindra would tweet about my mission much earlier. It would have helped me get more eyeballs and, hopefully, sponsorship. Because so far, I have survived on people’s hospitality,” Jothi Viknesh told Metrolife over a laugh from Shergaon, a village in Arunachal Pradesh, on Monday.

The Kalyan Nagar resident has been on the road for five months with just 10 pairs of clothes, zipping past 14 states and clocking 11,500 km of the 19,000 km target set by the authorities at the Guinness Book of Records for him to become the first person to do so. “But I plan to travel 30,000 km so nobody can break the record easily,” says the 32-year-old, a fitness coach by profession.

Why did he choose an autorickshaw and an electric vehicle (EV) at that, when charging stations in the country are far from ubiquitous and the confidence around its mileage remains low?

He says, “In 2019, me and two of my friends drove 40,000 km in eight months in a car to set a world record. But before we could submit the evidence to the Guinness, an American surpassed our feat by driving 70,000 km instead. So I wanted to attempt something unique this time and road-tripping in a rickshaw is pretty unique.” In an e-rickshaw, even more. It is also less polluting, a cause he is espousing by conducting talks in colleges, hostels and army camps along the way.

It is also pocket-friendly. Jothi claims he has spent only “Rs 200” on charging since he started his journey from Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on December 5, 2021. He has been charging at fuel stations, hotels, electrical supply stores, big provision shops and multi-storied houses of strangers, and a majority, he claims, let him do it for free. “I only need a 16 amp three-pin socket to plug in,” he says.

Anand Mahindra commented on Jothi Viknesh’s
e-rickshaw after it reached the 15,200 ft-high Bumla Pass in Arunachal Pradesh.

Jothi has to charge his e-rickshaw daily, a process that takes four hours. He has faced no challenges finding charging points in big cities.

“But outside them, sometimes, I find a charging point after asking 20 people! On three occasions (in Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh) I had to tow my rickshaw across four-five villages to charge,” he recalls.

Passersby stop him to ask ‘How much range (mileage) does the vehicle give?’, a question he is tired of answering. “It can travel 100 km in the plains and 50-60 km along the ghats in one charge. It may not be satisfactory for many but I am in no hurry,” Jothi says. They also ask if he will give them a ride, mistaking him for an autorickshaw driver.

Jothi has gone on all-India trips before but they pale out in front of what he is experiencing this time. “I have slept at petrol pumps in my tent. I have shared rooms with sweepers, construction workers and army men, all because Google Maps took me to unmotorable places,” he begins. “In Manipur, I had to drive past a forest fire on one side,” he continues.

“And in Mokokchung in Nagaland, a militant pulled up a gun on me. I showed him my ID cards and vlogs that I am posting on ‘India on 3 Wheels’, my YouTube channel, to prove what I was doing,” he recalls.

About the good part, he says he was felicitated by the district commissioner of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh for it was the first time an autorickshaw had reached there.

Anand Mahindra also took notice when his e-rickshaw made it to the Bumla pass in Arunachal Pradesh at 15,200 feet, a first and done with the army’s support, says Jothi.