Tag Archives: automobiles

Not The Future, But Getting There…

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Palo Alto, to some it paints a picture of sunny beaches and Californian life. Others though, associate it as home to the who’s who of the technology industry. Its illustrious occupants already included Stanford University and Xerox’s iconic Palo Alto Research Center, and soon attracted other giants such as HP, while today it serves as an incubator to many more from Facebook to Google, who all are based in or around Palo Alto. Some go so far as to say, you haven’t made it big in the tech industry till you don’t have a facility here.

So it’s with some cynicism that people looked at a car manufacturer setting shop in these environs. One, many geeks look at the automobile industry as an archaic behemoth of a bygone era, and two, “Whatever was wrong with Detroit, the mecca of American automobile manufacturing?” But then the product CEO Elon Musk is manufacturing is nothing like the stuff rolling out of Detroit. For starters it does not work on gasoline/diesel, heck it does not even have an engine! And to make Palo Alto proud, software is at the heart of making this baby turn its wheels. Presenting everyone – drum roll – Tesla.

I know, most of you reading this might be saying, “Was all this buildup for this strangely named, yet mundane looking sports car?” Yes the car does have an unglamorous and super nerdy name (Tesla is the unit of magnetic flux density), and does not fit into any grand sci-fi vision with hidden wings or bayonets, but it’s about as far from today’s vehicles as the internal combustion was to steam engines. To use the Palo Alto analogy again, its driven by exactly the same sources that drives the millions of servers – electricity.

“Well another electric car, hmph! I’ve had enough of the Toyota Prius, and that’s hardly worked wonders.” Ok so first the Prius is a hybrid, meaning it still needs to burn fuel to drive and to charge its batteries, which only ‘aid’ the engine to enhance its fuel efficiency. Tesla however, make cars with no engines, and which can be charged from your home power socket. Their first product the Tesla Roadster smashed many records for (practical) electric cars, having a top speed of 201 km/h (0-100 in 3.7 seconds) and boasting a range of 400 km on a single charge (at lower speeds of course). Those are figures to do any vehicle proud, but better still, these are not some crazy test figures, the car is a finished product you can go and buy, if you have around $120,00 to spare.

At that price though it remains a rich man’s toy, and that’s not enough to cause any radical change in the industry. Musk understands this and hence is working on his epochal product, the Tesla Model S. This will be the company’s offering to average Joe, seating between 5 to 7, and which, after subsidies ($7500 by the federal govt in US and a further $2500 by the state of California) should be priced around $50,000. That fits it perfectly in the range of mass luxury sedans (5 series or E class) and should appeal to a larger populace.

The company is parallelly also working on a SUV option, though Musk agrees that the Model S is his make or break product. This has to succeed for Tesla to survive and prepare for the future. The hurdles are many. Setting up a car manufacturing unit is infinitely more complex than an internet startup and the costs involved are astronomical. Then there is the lack of a supplier base and high dependence on third-party products to complete the design. Biggest challenge though, is the lack of a worthy power source – batteries.

Right from laptop to mobile phones, manufacturers of various products bemoan the constraints of current battery technology and single it out as a major limiter to their product’s performance. Now for a product that has batteries at its heart and its single defining feature, that’s a big problem. Current batteries are heavy, store insufficient charge (which means more are required and hence more weight) and need to be replaced periodically (less charge means more charging cycles and earlier replacements).

Thankfully some smart innovation at Tesla has squeezed enough out of the lithium-ion stacks to make them car viable. Jeffery Straubel, Tesla’s CTO, believes battery manufacturers are upgrading fast will eventually catch up, especially if the sales number justify the product. “Between the time we did Roadster and Model S, the batteries have improved by about 40%,” he says. “That’s a pretty big number. That’s about four years.Engines don’t drop in size by half in a few years. It doesn’t happen. It’s almost like the properties of steel are changing year by year.”

Even if the car is a success and does set the niche rolling, personally I don’t think its THE (permanent) solution. Those words you read of Electric Vehicles (EVs) being the ‘holy grail’ are more propaganda than fact. Firstly, the claim that these are ‘zero emission’ vehicles is marketing lingo at best and a blatant lie at worst. EVs do cause emissions, just that it’s shifted from the tailpipes to the chimneys of the power producing plants elsewhere. So while it might look ‘clean’ with the conspicuous lack of a tailpipe, it’s not a self-sustaining vehicle.

Supporters of the technology claim that its easier to implement and control fuel saving technologies at huge power plants than each vehicle, and that those plants work at far higher efficiencies than the most economical of the internal combustion engines in our cars. Further the energy supplied to your homes (and being fed into Teslas) can be hedged into renewable sources like wind, solar, tidal etc., and thus add to the green credentials of the car.

All the above is true and an electric car will always be greener compared to its fuel driven brethren (including the hybrids), but all I want to bring out is that these cars are not the final solution to the automobile industry’s (and in fact the world’s) fuel crisis. Nor will they protect the consumer long from rising fuel bills, as eventually electricity meters will start charging more and more, with the ever-increasing number of electric devices introduced in the world at an astonishing pace.

But electric cars can do a lot of good. If these vehicles gain a modicum of popularity they immediately loosen the burdens on the oil wells (maybe even bring oil prices down to justifiable rates) and the benefit of hedging electricity production methods are mentioned above. More importantly though, the car can provide a huge impetus to investments in battery technology and research on renewables. Once people start driving on electricity, companies will be forced to invest in the associated technologies and that can only help the planet.

However the most significant benefit of the Tesla would be the time it buys for scientists to come out with the ‘car of the future’. Currently all fingers point to ‘fuel cells’ which use hydrogen as fuel (the most abundantly available element on earth) and mix it with oxygen (sucked in from the air), producing electricity and (clean drinkable) water. Note that here too the driving force is (battery-powered) electricity, only the production now is confined within the vehicle and is truly 100% emission free (well clean water is an emission which am sure we all can live with).

So as consumers buy electric vehicles (not only cars mind you), fuel dependence reduces, associated technologies boost, and therefore researchers working on fuel cells and administrators working on hydrogen production and distribution all get a breather to work under less pressure. All of this while the ecological footprint of the automobile industry reduces with every passing day. So Tesla (or the EV) while not being the life saviour many hail it as, can certainly be a life changer – for the good.

And for this very reason I do hope and pray the courageous venture does fructify. Tesla will need support from many quarters, politicians being the first. No electric vehicle currently can match the mass-produced fuel versions on price. Internal combustion industry has had a 100 year head start to refine their processes and a billion strong market for economy of scale. Therefore government subsidies will have to support the product in its infancy.

Also there has to be some commitment from the traditional manufacturers. They have to see these cars not as the enemy, but as the next evolution in their history. Few manufacturers (Daimler and Toyota in particular) have joined hands with Tesla and provided support in various forms, but large-scale involvement remains a dream. Then is the contribution required of Palo Alto’s finest – software. Thankfully here, good progress seems to be made and with the globe’s current fascination of all things IT, software should be one of the strong points of the Model S.

“Here’s to creating the greatest car company of the 21st century, and to moving us off fucking oil as fast as possible,” said an enthusiastic Musk to his employees as he celebrated moving to the glorious environs of California in 2010. Probably 102 years ago Henry Ford would have launched the Model T with equal alacrity; and the car did go on to immortalise him in the automobile pantheon. Elon Musk will be hoping that if his similarly named model can be fractionally as successful, he could be revered far more. Not only as the man who gave the world a path breaking product, but as the one who gave the planet a new lease of life.

ps: for a in-depth info about Elon Musk’s vision of the company and his worries, the article below is an excellent read (one that heavily influenced me to write this).

Why Tesla Motors Is Betting On The Model S

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Great India Road Trip

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It all started with an innocuous thought between a few of friends – Gaurav Sahai, Bibin Abraham and myself – sharing drinks sitting across the Arabian sea. Thinking of an apt way to commemorate the 275th anniversary of Naval Dockyard Mumbai, we thought of driving to all the major bases and command organisations of the Indian Navy. Well that plan extrapolated – and how!

The Naval Dockyard, Mumbai was established in 1735 to cater to the demands of the then nascent ship building industry of India. The Yard has since grown in leaps and bounds, serving the nation right from the two World Wars, to supporting the cutting edge warships and submarines today. It boasts of having built the oldest ship afloat presently, the HMS Trincomalee, and has the proud distinction of being the premium technical defence establishment and one of the oldest in the whole of Asia.

So, to commemorate the occasion in a befitting way (and in the bargain live a long cherished dream), our small team of four led by Commodore SK Tewari set about planning the road trip, which now aimed at encompassing a good deal of our vast country. The hunt for sponsors took us from dear old Maruti-Suzuki to the mighty Volkswagen group.

With mixed reactions from various manufacturers, we hit luck by getting in touch with Overdrive mag – the leading automobile print journal in the country. Team Overdrive were extremely positive in helping us organise this drive (with several other ideas in addition) and got us in touch with Toyota. The Japanese are world leaders in four-wheeler production and their enthusiasm and commitment shown towards our event left us in little doubt about the main partners for the expedition.

Toyota Landcruiser is a synonym with off-roading and the first image that comes to mind are white liveried UN vehicles thrashing across the battlegrounds of the middle east and Africa. So it was delight to know that the company were to provide us with the flagship LC200, Landcruiser Prado, Fortuner and Innova for the duration of the expedition.

Then started the hunt for fuel sponsors, and thankfully this was much easier, for the Navy is a major customer of the Indian Oil Corporation. The management at IOC were approached and consented to cater to the car’s thirst (which knowing the beasts, would be tremendous).

The toughest phase though was planning and finalising the route. Everyone had suggestions and pre-conceived notions. While some wanted to skip the desert in Rajasthan, others were not too keen to drive through some parts in the Bihar-Jharkand belt. Though one thing we all were keen was to drive to Khardung La; alas that was not to be as the dates of our expedition fell during the beginning of winters (we were to flag off from the historic Lion gate of the Naval Dockyard on 07 Nov).

Finally we decided on a route consisting of four legs, first being from Mumbai to Amritsar via Koteshwar – the westernmost point of mainland India – and Jaisalmer. Second leg took us through the enigmatic states of UP and Bihar uptill Kolkata. The return journey had us navigating the scenic eastern and western coasts, touching Pondicherry, Kanyakumari, Kochi and Goa. Each car was driven by a set of three officers from the Naval Dockyard with a core team of Bibin, self and PP Singh doing the complete circuit. The remaining officers changed after the completion of each leg, so as to provide the opportunity to a wider pool of personnel.

The expedition finally culminated on 04 Dec, which is “Navy day” celebrated to commemorate the decisive Naval victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war. Overall, it was an epic journey for all participants which taught us a lot about our diverse country, all the while involving a bit of fun with some extremely impressive machinery. The cars were simply mind-blowing in their ability to handle any terrain thrown at them, with even the Innova managing to rough it out to quite some extent.

Toyota’s fabled dependability and renowned customer support were certainly a boon to the expedition. Yes, there were hiccups as would be expected with such a long trip, but they were insignificant in the broader picture. Now I cannot wait to repeat such a trip, this time probably incorporating the extreme north and the eastern region of our country. I’m sure someone would need to celebrate the 276th anniversary of the Yard too!

ps: and hey if you liked this trip, check it out & vote on Cleartrip here



Great India Road Trip: Day 14

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Ok so after an extended hiatus, I’m back with my travelogue. Blame it on a couple of hectic weeks (read boring office + super exciting new year weekend), but thankfully now I’ve some time to spare (read vacation at my parent’s place). I left at the half way mark of our trip at Kolkata and that is right where we pick up from.

For those of you who are wondering where did “Day 13” of the trip vanish, the answer is not any superstitious reason, but that the much maligned “13th” day was conveniently a rest day at Kolkata, and nothing worth writing about happened there. Well, we started on our way towards Puri with a new crew, and what was to be the longest leg of our trip (please note that I now write all of this in lot of hindsight).

We received three warnings when leaving Kolkata and all three concerned a diversion we were to encounter before Kharagpur. Now are two ways from Kharagpur to Bhubaneshwar, one rough enough to shake the fillings out of your teeth, the other smooth enough to bore you to death. We ofcourse chose the lesser of the two evils and braved boredom rather than a visit to the dentist. Now the third warning was that the intersection where we would be faced with the choice of route was an extremely confusing one, and often people who chose one, ended up on the route not preferred.

Having been there I can vouch for the warning, it is confusing like hell. And that fact that road signs for both routes display exactly the same text does not help!!! Three cars turned one way, the fourth chose the other (and this was when we were travelling in a convoy). The lone car then turned back (on the one-way road mind you) to join the remaining three, only for all to realise that the lone car had actually made the right decision. So yet another wrong way U-turn  (and some off-roading) later, we returned to the correct (read smoother) route. Now for any of you who need to make the decision in future, when you come at the diversion before Kharagpur, continue straight to the underpass on the seemingly uninviting road and do not be tempted by the attractive curving diversion towards left. The diversion, like most attractive (and curvaceous) things, would only flatter to deceive and lead you to the rougher of the two routes.

Well West Bengal scenery had nothing much to write about, and entering Orissa things didn’t seem to change much. The highways in both states were definitely not as well endowed as those of the western or northern belt, though the eastern state obviously had better infrastructure than Orissa. Finding good eating joints was not easy either and even when we found one, the food was nothing to write home about.

Our plan was to reach the Sun Temple at Puri right before sunset and enjoy the breathtaking views it has to offer. Sadly that was not to be courtesy some enthusiastic photo-stops we had enroute (come on, it was the first day for most of the crew, so they were reasonably excited). In any case the roads approaching Puri did not help being a sad state highway, narrow and littered with village traffic, which meant average speeds were hardly above 40kmph. So we made it to the temple much after sunset, but the illuminated structure looked Legen – wait for it – Dary, to say the least. My pic above could be a testament to it I guess, I mean for those of you who can take your eyes off me in my awesomeness and notice the temple behind.

Right, enough of Barney Stinson (sorry but off late I just can’t get over HIMYM) but the temple did indeed look great. Our guide opened our eyes to some really promiscuous details of our forefathers and also their architectural innovativeness. Ofourse he served us with the clichéd and fabled stories about the magnet on top which supposedly held the structure together and how the British messed with it and blah, blah, blah……but overall a visit which was definitely worth every minute.

But better was to follow. As we made our way to the pious city of Puri, onwards to a road named “Marine Drive” (now that felt like home), we were to be treated with the most stunning road I’ve ever driven on. With the sea for company just on our left and the moonlight cantering along the waves matching us for pace, the atmosphere was purely magical. The cherry on the cake was the stunning tarmac, which though narrow, was traffic free and had just the right amount of turns to keep the keen driver enthralled. But wait-a-minute, it does not end there. The route passes briefly through a wildlife sanctuary, and while it was too late to spot any fauna, the overhanging branches of trees made a canopy over the road, making it feel like driving through a tunnel. The branches also played tricks with the headlights to create some brilliant illusions, and while the overall effect was haunting, it was delightful nonetheless.

I wished the 30 odd kilometres would never end, but sadly they did and steered us right into the chaotic city which was like being dropped from the lap of Katrina Kaif to that of Rakhi Sawant. Meandering through the boisterous crowd we navigated to our hotel and peace was restored at last. We were fortunate to check into a quaint little place, towards the end of the crowded road, yet right across the beach which meant we could do some beach-roading the next day, but more on that later.

So overall an interesting drive – mainly due to the last 30 kms – and a nice start to the leg. From here we were to move on to Vishakapatnam the next day, touching the largest salt water lake “Chilka” enroute. Our Orissa stay then was to be quite brief, but very eventful nonetheless. And that eventfulness will come out in my next post. So till next time adios and drive safe……..and gimme a “virtual five” (OK enough of Barney for now).

Great India Road Trip: Day 12

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Bodh Gaya rose to a slightly chilly morning and taking over the Fortuner’s wheel I was for once tempted to the charms of being chauffeured in a car. But my inner instinct would not make me leave the driver’s seat and I could always catch up on sleep later in the day. Early morning is definitely a rewarding time to drive as there is little traffic and the fresh air makes one feel a little more alive. Also I was driving the Fortuner for the first time in the trip, so that slight novelty factor was there to keep my spirits high.

Now where do I start to praise the pure pleasure that the vehicle is. LC200 may be a full crore dearer than the Fortuner, may have innumerable creature comforts and (above all) bragging rights, but when it comes to the pure pleasure of driving, none of the cars we had beats the Fortuner. The steering is as precise as it can be for a SUV and the seats are superb. The entire feel of driving it on fast curving roads is just priceless (mind you am comparing it with SUVs here not with sedans/hatchbacks).

The more I drove the more I fell in love with the car. Yes the manual box seemed a slight discomfort after driving the autos for so long, but then the involvement factor is so much higher that even shifting the box feels like a boon. The seating position is very nice and I feel the other cars cannot begin to compete with it in the looks department. Infact I feel the Fortuner is the most attractive SUV in India, with maybe only the Captiva coming close.

However looks is not all this beauty is about, cause take it off road and she can turn into a total animal. The butch looks then, with flared wheel arches, air duct on the hood etc are not purely cosmetic as it makes easy meal of broken roads, inclines and the little slush we had to wade through. Yes it definitely cannot match the Landcruisers in pure off road ability, but in day to day driving and the little off-roading that owners might do (personally I don’t think these vehicles evefr leave the tarmac in our country) it is more than capable to deal with what is thrown at it.

Anyways this is a travelogue and so I must refrain from making it a Fortuner road test (in any case Toyota is not paying me any anything to do that). But one last word, the Fortuner is a steal for its price, and pretty much has no competition, now only if Toyota can improve the center console and dashboard which seem from a bygone era.

Returning to the tarmac, we were back on the GT road were treated to the pleasures of the previous day. But soon we headed into Jharkhand and as expected the roads deteriorated. It seems the NHAI could not continue the good job they have done turning around the road infrastructure in UP and Bihar to Jharkhand. The four lane pleasures dissolved to a normal two lane road (albeit sufficiently broad). Also potholes returned to haunt the suspension and frequent towns ensured there was enough traffic on the road to keep speeds low.

The state also had no other sights on offer to make note off, except for maybe slightly more impoverished countryside. As we entered West Bengal – one of the last remaining communist strong holds in the country – the conditions did not improve much. Yes the pot holes reduced and speeds increased slightly, but the road could not be compared with the luxuries of the previous day.

A new feature was the sign boards, which for the first time on the trip were illegible to me, being obviously in Bengali. Even then finding the way to the “city of joy” did not prove tough and we made decent progress till we hit the outer edges of India’s oldest metro. I’ve always found Kolkata to be a maze and a cauldron of constant chaos with innumerable people milling around, fighting for their share of the tarmac among trams, buses, taxis and hand-drawn rickshaws. The rickshaws and trams are definitely unique to the city, but in my opinion do not make for a good sight (neither good for traffic).

But the city drips of heritage at every corner, be it the buildings, the yellow Amby taxis or the general local dress up. Being the most populous city of the nation, every inch of space is hard fought and that adds to the vintage feel. So do the local traffic policemen, their white uniform reminiscent of days gone by, and their ubiquity at intersections is also something not generally seen in today’s metros.

Kolkata also has innumerable one ways which follow an unique system of reversing direction with time. This makes navigation a total b***h and even our GPS navigator was baffled trying to reroute at every junction, only to find its efforts have gone in vain as the next road is blocked. I’ve never driven in more confusing traffic and the narrow streets got us totally lost. We kept going round and round in the same area till finally someone had to come from our hotel and guide us to the place.

Tomorrow will be a rest day and thereafter a new team joins us for the next leg of our travel. This roughly marks the halfway stage of our trip, and so far thankfully, things have stayed well (except for minor hiccups). Now we start travelling south towards Kanyakumari and the cuisine etc will change drastically, but am quite excited about the coastal drives. Day after we head to Puri which does not promise much on the face of it, but still more on Kolkata and Puri in my next post, till then adios and drive safe :)

Great India Road Trip: Day 11

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Day 11 started from where we left off the earlier evening. Well I do not mean the same location (that much is obvious), but in high spirits. As I wrote in my earlier post, the accommodation was top notch and hence the serene surroundings and nice beds gave us the much needed rest, so an early start was not as much a discomfort as otherwise.

But we were headed into the uncertainty that is Bihar and had received numerous warnings / suggestions / advice on how to tackle this stretch of our journey. However I think most people were being plain paranoid, and all that concerned me was how would the asphalt be through the state. Thankfully getting out of Kanpur city proved to be much less trickier than getting into it. The exit took us straight to the end of the legendary flyover that had so troubled us the previous night.

I was back in the Innova for the day and after so long in much bigger vehicles, the most popular MPV in the country seemed a little short on comfort (though not short on space). The Innova provided to us is the top end version and that means its get two bucket seats in the rear instead of the cheaper and more favoured three seater bench. I really wonder on this strange strategy by Toyota, which might have suited a sedan, but is a bit baffling for a MPV.

GT Road / NH2 is absolutely mind blowing. It definitely is the best road I’ve driven on in our country till date. Absolutely pristine, it almost feels unused. Which it indeed maybe as it was not mapped on our GPS navigation device. The area we were driving on was being shown as marshland, which does not speak too good of mapmyindia‘s detailing. However the device has been immaculate till now and maybe this road was indeed newly inaugurated.

Well if so then we surely felt privileged to be driving on such a superb piece of tarmac in a state where we expected only broken roads and constant diversions. The road’s pleasures did not end just at the smooth tarmac, but extended in sweeping curves, wonderful crests and delightful bankings. What a pleasure then it was to be cruising on it in any vehicle, and also a big boost to the state that is much vilified for its lack of infrastructure.

The road encouraged us to talk up cars and fortunately I had an excellent driver/co-pilot with me for the day. Cdr Mukherjee was a new face to me and he was an absolute encyclopedia about roads and vehicles. I had a great time discussing various cars and road trips (both India and abroad) and he certainly gave me a few new ideas. His St Petersburg-Helsinki road trip is stuck in my mind (though I personally think I need to do the London-Istanbul one first).

The road took us to Bihar but continued to stay as pristine as ever. However it was quite axiomatic looking around how deprived the state is. Almost every vehicle (irrespective of size) was duly overloaded with people/cattle/goods sticking out of every corner and stacked on the roof. The surroundings though more picturesque than UP or Gujrat, certainly painted a bleak picture in tune with the demographics of the area.

My view got more support as we left the national highway and detoured towards Bodh Gaya. The state highway though by no means dilapidated, did pass through towns which could see better days. The people seemed baffled to see four strange looking vehicles, cause most vehicles plying were archaic jeeps / locally assembled four wheelers with an occasional Mahindra Scorpio thrown in (probably of the local politico/hoodlum).

As the state highway meandered through these towns and headed deeper into Bihar I could notice the lack of any agriculture (industries I did not expect). I certainly am not very knowledgeable in this subject, however I guess most of Bihar’s income comes from the rich mineral deposits of the state. But to see so much land lying desolate was concerning. Maybe better irrigation and education in future would propel the people and land towards prosperity.

Forgive my preachings, but having being warned so much about the state, I was bound to read more into everything. Though I must say we were fortunate and never once encountered even the remotest of any trouble passing through Bihar. The people are impoverished, but not all are bloodthirsty vandals.

Bodh Gaya proved to be the little town we had expected it to be, but surprisingly had an abundance of hotels. Most would not qualify for any stars on a Lonely Planet guidebook, but a few were in acceptable condition. Frankly looking at the visage of most hotels I was extremely concerned as to where had we been booked, but to my (and I guess mostly everyone’s) relief we checked into a neat little place, with all necessities and even a few luxuries.

Evening again called for us to meet the old monks and spiritually enjoy the place. There was no dearth of the more honourable and real life monks as well, with many a Buddhists flocking the town for obvious reasons. But we again had a early start the next day and that meant I could not explore the little town.

Tomorrow we start for the end of Leg 2 and will reach the easternmost point of our little journey. Am no big fan of Kolkata, but am looking forward to meeting a friend and cousin, so a rest day would not be bad. We pass through Jharkhand, and while that is supposed to be worse than Bihar, this time am not having any pre-conceived notions in my mind. I’ll take the day and roads as they come, so till next time adios and drive safe :)

Great India Road Trip: Day 10

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The three day halt at Delhi was enough to refresh body, soul and spirit (well may not be body considering the late nights spent in high spirits) and we got back on the road with yet another uncomfortable early start. The crew had changed over in Amritsar, so we now had many new faces.

There was a little sad feeling about leaving Delhi, but it was far exceeded by the excitement for the new route. I was back in the LC200, which though back from repairs, was yet to prove itself in the testing grounds of the Indian highways. And a tough test certainly lay ahead in the form of the roads and traffic of Uttar Pradesh as we headed to Kanpur, with an enroute halt at Agra to visit the timeless Taj Mahal.

An early morning start might be inconvenient, but the obvious gain is in exiting the city in a jiffy. Without frustrating traffic and traffic light delays, the sublime roads of Delhi could be crossed in a matter of minutes. Also one gets to see the lower belly of any metropolis with newspapermen, milkmen etc readying up to provide basic services that run our daily lives, yet which we take for granted.

The route from Delhi to Agra must be one of the most frequented ones by Indian and foreign nationals alike because of the Taj Mahal, and so one would assume the government to ensure it in the least resembles the autobahns / freeways of the western nations (all the more so since the city does not have an airport). Sadly it turns out that this is one of the most decrepit stretches of tarmac one can drive on, and the NHAI maybe is not a big fan of the marble monument. Someone told me that the Jaypee group are building a state of the art expressway from Noida till Agra, and am hoping like hell for it to come up soon.

But even if that happens the state govt will still have a big job at hand ferrying the tourists from the highway exit till the white wonder. Because if the highway stretch is poor, the approach road to the Taj is beyond words. I was sure we had taken the wrong route as the road to such a significant monument cannot be in the tatters it is. But that seems to be the only route to the Taj and it is a perfect example of the alacrity with which the state govt abdicates responsibility.

Unfortunately I could not get to see the great monument as we were not comfortable leaving the vehicles in the shambles that the parking was. Someone needed to stay back and I was “chosen” for it, considering my love for the mechanical marvels. In any case I had seen it before, so some nice music in the LC200 did not hurt.

Which reminds me I’ve not spoken about the audio in any vehicle. Toyota has done a remarkable job with the Innova and Fortuner’s audio system, but seems to have lost the plot with the Prado. While the first two are an audio delight, Prado seems to have too much bass with not much on offer in the other freq bands. The LC200′s JBL Synthesis is in a totally different world – or rather takes you in a different world. Pure musical bliss may describe the experience. However one nagging issue is that none of the vehicles, other than the Prado have USB/aux support. This is shocking considering in today’s day and age these are not considered luxuries but basic needs. If anyone in Toyota is reading this, please rectify this AT THE EARLIEST.

If I was shocked till now, I was mistaken, cause as soon as we left Agra and rejoined NH2, we found ourselves on a supremely wonderful road, in every sense. Broad, smooth, good dividers, nice boards, the works. It begged the question, what was NHAI thinking when they ignored Delhi-Agra. Maybe they really do despise the Taj, else I’m fluxommed to think of a logical reason for the gaffe (maybe infighting between state & central govts).

Returning to NH2, it far surpassed any road we had driven till then (except for the Vadodra-Ahmedabad expressway) and we could easily maintain very high average speeds without taking any risks. One thing lacking compared to the NH8 are decent eating joints. We could find none of the standards of the Mumbai-Delhi highway, and maybe that is due to the economic condition of UP or the lesser amount of traffic on this stretch.

Just before Kanpur we hit the legendary Grand Trunk road which is today the NH2. Our GPS guiding equipment told us not to take the GT road flyover, but it seemed very inviting (especially as the other entry to the city was clogged with traffic). We were confident of a exit from the flyover at some location, and the route even if a few kilometers longer, was sure to save us time.

Little did we know that the flyover was the most idiotically designed one ever. It did not have even a single exit for the next 20kms (at which point we turned back) and it was frustration at its peak when we kept going forever while Kanpur city disappeared on our left. When we did turn back, it meant an extra 40km trip and finally we had to take the clogged route (though by then it was much better). And to make it worse the city route pretty much hugged the fly over all the way, making us wonder why in god’s name did the designers not provide a couple of ptactical exits.

So here is a tip, if any of you want to enter Kanpur city from Agra side (god only knows why you would want to do that), DO NOT TAKE THE GT ROAD FLY OVER (however inviting it may seem). Once in, the city driving felt like playing mortal combat – with two fingers, while dancing on hot coals. If ever someone wants to live the phrase ‘baptism by fire’, drive a Landcruiser in peak Kanpur traffic.

Frankly I do not have the skills to describe the traffic (I would not say traffic sense, cause obviously there was none of it on display), only that we made it out alive, with no dents on any vehicle, and I now want to meet Mr Ecclestone to get a shot at a F1 driver superlicense. After Kanpur, I guess that would be a piece of cake.

The day ended on a good note as the accommodation booked for us was top notch. Lovely place, wonderful rooms and even better food – with lipsmacking desserts. All then is well that ends well (with desserts). Meeting with an old and very dear friend added to the already boisterous atmosphere and the early start the next day seemed to be of little importance.

So a mixed bag of a day, but positive overall. Tomorrow we head to the historic and pious city of Bodh Gaya, through the tumultuous state of Bihar. But for now let me sleep in peace and happiness and till next time adios and drive safe :)

Great India Road Trip: Day 6

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Day 6 began really early. A 5am start required waking up at an extremely inconvenient hour and ensured none of the rest of the team could give us a farewell (well we could wake them up for it, but then it would have become a painful farewell). The excitement quotient though was high about heading to Delhi and the sweet chill in the air definitely lifted my spirits.

Heading out of Sri Ganganagar we entered Punjab and the mercury dipped to 10 degrees. The LC200′s climate control kept us comfortably cocooned from the climatic vagaries, but even in these cold climes one could see the rich Punjab fields, overflowing with crops. Also the locals were much bulkier compared to the almost emaciated people in Rajasthan. The latter fact may have nothing to due with economic strength, more the genetic makeup due to the difference in climes and food.

The road infrastructure though is definitely below par compared to both Gujrat and Rajasthan and that definitely was a shock considering the amount of agricultural trade that passes through them. I was informed that Punjab is littered with ubiquitous “thekas” (liquor shops) always accompanied with tandoori chicken outlets. However on the stretch we drove, I could not find many of them, only a few which I guess were pretty average for any state.

The drive through Punjab was short lived and brought us onward to Haryana, the enigmatic land of the ebullient jats. First thing I noticed was the sudden increase in the density of cattle sauntering across roads. However with time the cattle were also joined by all sorts of vehicles, 2, 3 and 4 wheelers, contraptions made in backyard garages (or junkyards) and driven with alarming disdain to other structures (moving or stationary ) on the road. The roads themselves were not in their prime and such imaginative driving ensured I could not catch up on sleep even in the rear seat.

Haryana merges into Delhi with no demarcation, and uniformity in chaos, cattle and candour (in relation to expression of anger). The village of Najafgarh may have given the country one of its most destructive batsman, but the country definitely has not retrained the favour in any manner. That is the entry point to the capital, and maybe is strategically designed as a deterrent to people hoarding Delhi in huge numbers.

But all the above is forgotten as soon as one enters Gurgaon. Probably one of the best planned townships in the country, Gurgaon’s road infrastructure is sublime in stretches and a breeze to navigate through. Yes its a complete concrete jungle and people living there may not know how a tree/plant look like or what is their function, but still it provided a breather after Najafgarh.

As soon as we entered Delhi, there was this constant hurry because the plans for the evening were already in motion and I desperately needed a break to get the day’s drive out of my head. Most people say that Delhi is mind numbingly complex to navigate, but I quite feel the contrary. Of all the Indian cities, I feel Delhi’s got the best sign boards, huge, frequent and legible. So one is never lost for long, and navigating to prominent areas is a breeze. And what cannot be doubted is the quality of roads, which I’ve to agree with a heavy heart, are better even than Mumbai.

But all those good roads and effective road signs have not been able to instill the kind of driving sense in the locals, as is found in Mumbai and Bangalore. Cutting across lanes is routine and over-speeding is not rare either. Though thankfully there is adequate respect for red lights and the people are patient when entering round abouts.

I will not write much about Delhi here cause I have to devote an entire post to that. This also brings an end to the first phase of our drive. We also have the first crew changeover (apart form the permanent members) and I get to acclimatise to new faces. The road ahead leads us through probably the riskiest route in the entire drive, through the states of UP and Bihar. Roads are expected to be uniformly bad and definitely infested with incessant traffic.

So the first leg was quite pleasant, except for the few mechanical troubles (which I feel are inevitable). This was also through the part of the country I was most acquainted with, yet provided many novel experiences and taught me lots. The best experience was driving through Rjasthan and worst through Haryana (purely a personal opinion) and now after a brief reprieve we continue ahead towards the literary capital of the country, Kolkata. This stretch is relatively new to me and hence I am a bit excited about it, but will have to wait for the next post for it. So till next time adios and drive safe :)

Great India Road Trip: Day 5

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Ok so its been long since I last wrote, but the LC200 problems had led our car to detour to Delhi skipping on Amritsar, and the good company and attractions of the city ensured everything else took the back seat. Anyways I’ll have a separate post for the city’s (mis)adventures – it definitely deserves that – for now let me update on day 5 & 6.

Day 5 – Barmer to Sri Ganganagar

So after all the chaos of Barmer, we started on a fresh note and headed to Sri Ganganagar skirting the desert lands. The route was to take us through Jaisalmer and Suratgarh (for different reasons), but otherwise was expected to be barren. Before cast off everyone was excited about photo op with a herd of camels (is herd the word used for camels??).

Once again I was to drive the flagship LC200, not because the others were generous, but only as none wanted to take a chance with the wounded beast. I was the last to mind, cause mech troubles or not, this vehicle is almost the steel incarnation of Katrina Kaif.

Our first halt was the imposing Jaisalmer fort, which has the unique distinction of being one of the very few “lived in” forts. Its a bit surreal to walk through a historic site, and suddenly find a girl in school uniform and bag hopping out of one of the houses. But the intense tourism has converted this regal fort to a shanty bazaar. Most of the time one is trying to peer through layers of shops to get a glimpse of the actual architecture.

One of the exceptions was the Jain temple, which had spell-bounding sculptures and almost magical statues, which seem to move with you, facing you at any angle. Such construction is forgotten in today’s glass and steel world and for me its the nearest I come to Diagon Alley. But I strongly feel commercial establishments inside fort premises should be kept to a bare minimum if not banned.

So I definitely did not enjoy the experience and have instead visited smaller but richer forts in the royal state. As we left Jaisalmer, the road flirted with dunes and life seemed to wither away with every passing kilometer. The road stretched straight for as far as the eye could see and that meant great speeds. With no trees or buildings or even electric poles, for the first time in my life I could appreciate why people once imagined the earth to be flat.

But in the middle of nowhere we did find two young boys on a cycle heading to school, which was 14kms from their home. Its quite bitter-sweet to see the state’s apathy which cannot provide even basic education comfortably, but such effort being put in by these village boys to beat the system and get access to education no matter the hurdles.

Enroute we encountered some sand dunes which presented the perfect opportunity to give the vehicles a taste of what they were designed for. Sadly the LC200 was not in the best shape to get adventurous, so it was just the Prado which got the privilege. For the first time in my life I could see the wheels spin at different rpms and could almost feel the differential struggle, making calculations in millisecs, diverting precisely the power required by each wheel.

The ease with which the Prado rode across and back was testimony to its capabilities and Toyota’s technical excellence. After a brief photo session, we encountered a berry bush and picked lots of wild berries. One “experienced” team member assured us they were safe for consumption, and once we started, it was impossible to stop. By the end of a few minutes everyone had multiple thorn pricks but were still hungry for more.

We continued to Suratgarh where the Army station commander was supposed to host us for dinner. But we started to sense something wrong as we found a military escort waiting for us on the main highway entrance for the city. As it shepherded us inside the city and cantonment, we realised there was a function on for the night. But only when we neared the officer’s mess, did it dawn upon on us that the dinner was a part of the entire station reception which had been organised in our honour. Frankly this was more embarrassing than humbling as none of us were prepared for it. We had arrived tired and grimy amidst gracefully decked and officers and families of the station.

The Colonel had gone the whole hog, organising a ceremonial band and other typical Army hospitality, which frankly none of were used to. Unfortunately we still had to drive till Sri Ganganagar and I was the designated pilot (:P) of the LC200. I say “unfortunately” cause that meant I was to miss out on the inviting spirits on offer. So making do with fruit juices for the evening, I immersed myself into the kind hospitality of the Indian Army.

Finally we reached Sri Ganganagar really late and were supposed to break away from the rest of the cars from the next day. They would continue as planned to Amritsar, while we diverted to Delhi for emergency repairs. This meant a 5am start the next day, leaving precious little 3 hours to catch up on some sleep. AGAIN the accommodation arranged by the Army was immaculate.

So day 5 then was certainly a step ahead after the previous two days. Tomorrow I post about the drive to Delhi and then the much more interesting 3 wonderful days’ stay at the capital. So till next time adios and drive safe :)

Great India Road Trip: Day 4

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Day 4 began on a sombre note as the previous night a small drive till the ATM after dinner had led to a tyre burst of the LC200. The issue snowballed as the cars should not have been taken out in the night (they were the rules) and a tyre burst points towards recklessness on the driver’s part. And then there was the delay in the start due to replacement of the tyre. I am quite used to the procedure as my personal car’s old tyres have kept me in touch with the process, however replacing the tyre on this brute was a totally ball game.
It took me good 20 min rummaging through the manual to find the jack and a suitable location under the car to place it. Then lowering the spare tyre is almost an art, and I’ve not yet mentioned the size of the thing. But what made it worse was the fact that firstly as everyone woke up and saw me and another officer struggling with the vehicle, none offered help. They just nonchalantly walked away to their cars as if we were not known to them or our troubles were just our own.
Then when tired of waiting, they did walk down, all these elite “officers” made a circle and started offering incessant suggestions, none of which were of any pertinence to the job in hand. I wanted to slap out the nuisance, but had to persist and somehow we managed to get the vehicle going.
However with the brake problem and now no spare tyre, the flagship vehicle was on tenterhooks. Furthermore the Toyota PR manager’s reaction when informed of the problem almost resembled a post heart attack gasp. The had no spares (even brakes) available in India, and the best they could do was cannibalise spares from the only other showroom car in the country, at Delhi.
With no option available, we continued towards Barmer through deserted roads and sleepy towns. Most of the journey was on state highways, which though relatively smooth, were sadly two lane most of the way, ensuring low speeds and a tiring driving experience. But a small stretch before we turned north for Rajasthan was as pristine as the German autobahns and that gave us license to test the Landcruiser’s legs. With all the faults we limited ourselves to 180kmph, but I must say the vehicle felt hardly stressed even at that speed.
Pure performance apart, what will steal your heart about the LC200 is its pampering suspension setup. Its almost like a magic carpet ride and only the roughest of roads can unsettle the occupants in it. The downside is that the car rolls quite a bit and that leads to a few hairy moments on lovely sweeping curves. That means its fit only for arrow straight roads and not the romantic curvy ones. And yes this is when talking of roads, else this beast can ride over pretty much anything the nature has to offer.
The route sadly had nothing to offer, not even patches of desert which we were hoping for and instead it was a constant stream of barren land punctuated by small towns, which were in a confused stage between a village and a small township. But one could certainly feel the draining influence of Gujrat and the rising of Rajasthani culture in the clothes, dialect and food of the land. Unlike one may expect, this is never sudden, infact quite gradual. There is no clear line as on a map where suddenly all changes, quite the contrary as there is a big area of uncertainty where its a cocktail of both.
I’ve to mentoin here that its incredibly sad to see people mistreating the vehicles and if one corrects them, they have a staunch reply “Abe kaunsi teri gaadi hai, chill maar, Toyota will handle.” Sadly that is the mindset of most people and they wish to fulfill all their wildest fantasies and idiosyncrasies on these vehicles. Be it the LC200 or the Innova, it doesn’t matter, they push all to the limits in the harshest way possible. I know I probably should not have mentioned this in a travelogue, but it definitely saddens me and I thought if those people could read this and feel a change its probably worth it (or others who read this discourage people around them from doing so).
Nevertheless we managed to reach Barmer late at night and the Army was once again generous to offer whatever little they had at such a remote location. Its the perfect example of amiability covering up for facilities. But soon followed a investigation / introspection session concerning the last night and day’s unfortunate sequence of events. It was the most stressful day for me, not only of this trip, but in my recent past.
Thanking god that it was over, I hit the bed wondering what the next day has in store. We have to cover about 800kms, our maximum yet and in the vicinity of the Great Indian Desert. With mechanical troubles and a bit of uneasy air, all I am hoping for is some good roads and nice sights, and definitely tasty Rajasthani food. I’m, sorry if this post was a bit down but am sure things will only move up. So till next time adios and drive safe :)

Great India Road Trip: Day 3

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Day 3 began too soon. It felt as if we had no sleep and a 11am appointment with the station commander was the last thing on my mind. However service protocols don’t listen to lazy bums and there we were at 1050hrs all dressed up and so were our Air Force hosts. But there was immense satisfaction when it dawned upon me that for once we could show off in front of fighter pilots, and these supremely proud people were hearing to us in awe.

Our vanity settled, we took the officers on a small joy ride, which turned into a thrill ride on the air strip. The immaculate tarmac is proud to be used for the cutting edge MIG-29s, but am sure it did not mind some wonderful land based machinery. A short interaction and exchanging of gifts later we started for the agenda of the day.

It was planned to visit Narayan Sarovar at Koteshwar and thereafter head west to Lakhpath. This would take us to pretty much the westernmost tip of mainland India and certainly to land’s end. The border roads enjoyed a love hate relationships with the vehicles, being arrow straight and mirror smooth in stretches, while resembling the moon’s surface in parts. But more concerning were the several causeways which often had surprises in store for the unfortunate driver.

However one causeway had water flowing across it, and to wade through it in the Landcruiser provided for some thrill and decent photographs. Koteshwar was not as much fun as expected and the BSF outpost there provided a grim reminder of the luxuries we enjoy in the Navy. The outpost’s dining hall was so basic that even the most austere people would wish for more.

The onward drive to Lakhpath was much better, with water on both sides, just being split by a narrow road. We also passed through the walls of a once humongous fort. When built it would have been so huge that the walls protecting it seemed to go on forever. Sadly nothing is left of the actual structure except the sentinel walls which seemed to have failed in their job of protecting the castle, but didn’t do bad for themselves.

The gurdwara at Lakhpath was an extremely humbling experience. It is a heritage site, being the holy place where his holiness Shri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib stayed on his way to and from Mecca. Despite the religious significance it has been fortunately kept off the clutches of the greedy clergy sect and instead is run purely by volunteers. The house in question is extremely beautiful, mainly as it has been allowed to retain its innocence and grace.

Gujrat government has carried out systematic restoration (of which work was in progress even while we visited the site) and the good work has ensured that the 1500s construction is displayed in all its glory. The head priest was extremely kind and showed us around with a history lesson – though being in Punjabi I could not get a few parts of it.

As we decided to leave, the priest would not have any of it till we enjoyed a bit of their hospitality. We wondered what was he doing till then if not being a gracious host, but what he meant was some food. After much insisting we settled for tea and trust me you can never find such unadulterated tea in any city. I can never forget that moment, true Punjabi hospitality at its best, but more so an example how we have commercialised our religious institutes to a state of almost hatred, while they can be so humbling and spell-bounding.

All this while we also established a technical fact. Vodafone network far surpasses all its rivals – well atleast on the Gujrat border areas. Right till land’s end and locales where we could not even see fauna, we got close to full network for Vodafone. Reliance was abysmal and so to BSNL, both providing near NIL coverage except in populated areas. Yes I’ve been obsessed with Vodafone due to their wonderful ads, but this just proves what I’ve said all along :)

On the return leg all in good mood and banter, Bibin decided to take a nap. The kind friend that I am, I thought of making him comfortable in the cold climes and switched on his seat heater. Turns out however that the electrically heated seats work as a wonderful wakeup alarm, providing heat at a strategic location for quick and alert response. Bibin’s expression was worth a million dollars and it took a while for him to figure out the source of this mischievous fire that jolted him out of sweet sleep.

Post return to the base,we were delighted to find out that our hosts had made special provisions for us in the bar so that aching muscles (???) could be soothed by words of wisdom from some old monks. That definitely won our hearts and people soon got so happy as if life could not be better. Somehow my memory seems to fail me after that (I have no clue why) but I do remember a careless and unfortunate incident in the end. But by then it was already past 12am and so that technically comes in the Day 4 report.

Hope you enjoyed this day (report) as much as I enjoyed the day itself. So once again please keep commenting and adios for now AND DRIVE SAFE :)