EV trip planner
Pick your route and your EV — see how many charging stops you'll need, the extra time, and what the trip costs vs petrol.
How the planner works
We estimate the road distance between your two cities, then divide by your EV's usable range (we apply a real-world buffer — you rarely drive to 0%). Each time you'd run low, that's a fast-charging stop. We add the stop time and estimate the electricity cost versus what the same trip would cost in a petrol car.
How to plan a long EV drive in India
Highway EV travel here is a solved problem on the main corridors and still an adventure off them. The planner above gives you the arithmetic; this is the judgement that goes around it.
Plan on realistic range, never claimed range
Every range figure we publish is the manufacturer’s claimed or certified number. On a highway run at 90–100 km/h with the air conditioning on, expect the lower end of roughly 72–80% of it — highway speed is the single biggest drain on an EV, which is the opposite of how petrol cars behave. A car claiming 500 km is a 360–400 km car on the highway, and you should plan around the smaller figure. The full method behind that estimate is published here.
Use the 80% rule for charging stops
DC charging slows sharply above 80% state of charge, because the car protects the battery. The last 20% can take as long as the first 60. On a trip with a charging stop, charge to 80% and drive on — waiting for 100% is usually slower overall than stopping once more.
Arrive with a real buffer
Plan to reach each charger with at least 15–20% left. That buffer is not for your driving; it is for the charger being occupied, out of service, or behind a mall barrier that closes at 10pm. Treat every planned stop as having a meaningful chance of not working, because on Indian highways it does.
Know what slows you down
- Speed. The jump from 80 to 110 km/h costs far more range than most drivers expect. Sitting at 90 is often faster end to end, because it removes a charging stop.
- Air conditioning. A real cost in an Indian summer, though smaller than speed.
- Load and roof carriers. A full car with luggage on the roof loses noticeably more than a full car without.
- Gradients. Hill routes drink range on the way up and return some on the way down, but never all of it.
Check the charger before you leave
Our charging station finder maps the main public networks by city, but no map is live about whether a specific unit is working this afternoon. Before a long drive, check the operator’s own app for status, and keep a second option within range of the first. Carry the apps for at least two networks: a single-network plan is how people get stranded.
Which cars make this easy
If you do this kind of drive often, fast charging matters more than battery size. A car that takes 20 minutes from 10–80% turns a stop into a coffee break; one that takes an hour turns it into lunch whether you are hungry or not. The fastest-charging EVs in India list ranks the current line-up on exactly that number, and the comparison tool will put any two of them side by side.
Trip planning FAQs
How accurate is the trip estimate?
It is an estimate, not a guarantee. It applies a realistic-range factor to the manufacturer’s claimed figure and assumes steady highway driving. Your result will vary with speed, load, terrain, weather and traffic — always leave a buffer.
Does it know whether a charger is working?
No. Live charger status comes from the network operators’ own apps, and we recommend checking there before you set off.
Should I charge to 100% before a long drive?
Before leaving home, yes — a full battery at the start costs you nothing but time you are asleep for. At a DC charger mid-route, no: stop at 80% and move on.
Is highway driving worse for EV range than city driving?
Yes, and this surprises people coming from petrol cars. EVs recover energy when slowing down, so stop-start city traffic suits them; sustained high speed does not.