Hyundai Ioniq 5 world record special feature: Charged for greatness

Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise, and one day, sitting in my office, I found myself pondering a question that refuses to leave my mind: can EVs truly become the primary car for a household in India? In a country like ours, a primary car must be a jack-of-all-trades. It needs to handle the daily commute to work, ferry kids to school, manage grocery runs and undertake long road trips across states. With this thought in mind, an ambitious plan began to take shape. We would take an EV and drive it from the highest motorable point in the world to the lowest point in India.

The journey wouldn’t just test the EV’s capabilities but also the robustness of India’s charging infrastructure. To make it even more exciting, we planned to set a new world record for the greatest elevation change achieved by an electric vehicle. The current record, held in China, stood at 5,720 metres. Our route would take us from Umling La in Ladakh, at 5,799 metres above sea level, to Kuttanad in Kerala, which lies between 1 and 4 metres below sea level. It was an audacious plan but one we were determined to accomplish.

The car of choice for this adventure was the Hyundai Ioniq 5, a reliable, capable EV with a 72.5kWh battery and an impressive range. However, the team was just as crucial as the car. We needed a crew who could handle the challenges of this mammoth journey. First, there was Sandeep “Sandy” Sharma, a rally veteran with over three decades of experience and a knack for jugaad. He became our route planner and problem-solver. Next was Reshma “Race” Singh, a tough-as-nails rally driver from Nagaland, who brought her fearless attitude and driving skills to the support car. Only hitch was that she was anti-EV and was of the opinion that electricity was meant for her kitchen appliances, not cars. Abhishek Benny, our Gen-Z social media wiz, joined us to document the journey and provide much-needed snacks. And finally, there was I, tasked with driving the Ioniq 5 and holding the team together through thick and thin.

The briefing

I gathered the crew to explain the enormity of the task ahead. Setting a new world record came with strict protocols and documentation to follow. We fitted two GPS devices to the Ioniq 5, one of which was sealed in a tamper-proof box to record our elevation changes. A logbook would document every step of the journey and the car was equipped with a dashcam to capture continuous footage as evidence.

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Guinness World Records had laid out clear rules: the car must run solely under its own power, with no towing, pushing, or external assistance. It could never run out of charge, even for a moment. Adding to the challenge, we would be driving through Ladakh in November, where temperatures could plummet to -20°C, with snowstorms an ever-present threat.

“Cover up well,” I advised, as the room grew quiet, the weight of the journey sinking in. But the seriousness didn’t last long. Plates of chicken tikka, peanuts and mirchi paratha soon appeared, and camaraderie took over. The journey was about to begin.

Getting to Umling La

While the record run would start at Umling La, we first had to get the car there from Delhi. Race settled into the support car, a Hyundai Creta fitted with a Thule roof box, with Sandy as her navigator. Benny had the freedom to switch between vehicles, and I took charge of the Ioniq 5. The challenges began almost immediately, with thick fog blanketing Punjab. We had to halt for the night, but the weather only worsened as we entered Kashmir.

The treacherous Zojila Pass was made even more treacherous due to the snow. -Shot by Avdhoot A Kolhe for Evo India

Just as we were about to cross Sonmarg and enter the notorious Zojila Pass, it started snowing. Hard! The Zojila pass was closed off and we were stuck in Sonmarg. What we thought was going to be a few hours, turned into a night, then another day and another night. Spending two days in temperatures below -10 degrees gave us our first tryst with the physical and mental challenges that lay ahead. But we were determined. So the next evening after sunset, when we got news that the road is finally open, we started off again. Zojila lived up to its reputation. With the roads slippery with ice and partly frozen water puddles, the rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 5, became tail happy and I summoned all my skills to keep it going forward. From hereon, the temperatures remained extreme and the complexity of high altitudes and lower oxygen levels began in Ladakh. In another three days’ time, we reached Hanle, which was going to be our base until we scaled Umling La. We charged the Ioniq 5 at the Army base camp there and readied ourselves for the next day when the record run began.

The record run begins

The morning of the record run brought clear skies but ferocious winds delayed our start. Winds exceeding 100kmph at the summit meant we had to wait until conditions improved. By noon, we got the green light. Race remained sceptical about the EV’s ability to handle such extreme altitudes, likening my Ioniq 5 to a kitchen appliance. Ironically, it was her petrol back up car that struggled. The lack of oxygen required to burn the fuel, coupled with the additional weight of the roof box stalled her progress in the fine sand laden uphill drive. Eventually they had to look for another, flatter route to climb, while I continued my way, as the crow flies.

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At Umling La, I activated the GPS devices, dashcam and made our first entry in the logbook, officially marking the start of our record attempt. The GPS recorded a height of 5,799 metres. From here, our goal was simple: drive downhill to achieve the lowest possible altitude. Time, however, was against us. With less than an hour of daylight remaining, we raced back to Hanle. The freezing temperatures and altitude sickness tested all of us physically and mentally; Sandy and Race had tingling fingers, headaches and drowsiness; Benny was nauseous; and I started to experience the effects of sleep deprivation and extreme cold. But the Ioniq 5 performed flawlessly, delivering its full 214bhp and 350Nm of torque without needing oxygen like an ICE engine. We reached Hanle just as the sun set and decided to push on to Leh that same night, despite temperatures hovering between -15°C and -20°C. The Ioniq 5’s range read exactly 290km – the same distance we needed to cover. To conserve battery, I drove without the heater, braving the bitter cold. By 2am, we finally reached Leh, utterly exhausted but relieved, and with 20km of range still in the battery.

Onwards to the south

The next day in Leh, I charged the Ioniq 5 at a solar-powered fast EV charging station and bought some prayer flags for good luck. Benny was busy photographing the car, which looked stunning against Ladakh’s backdrop, while Sandy plotted our next route. Race remained sceptical about EVs but her doubts were starting to wane.

The sights of Kashmir were beautiful and the Ioniq 5's battery range kept us going. -Shot by Avdhoot A Kolhe for Evo India

We continued through Kargil, stopping at the Kargil War Memorial to pay our respects. Crossing Zojila Pass once more, we made our way to Srinagar, where I earned the nickname “The Range Extender” for covering over 100km using just 4 per cent of the battery’s charge. Aided by downhill regen and my now already over 2500km of driving experience of this car, I had figured how to extract the maximum range. But even I felt I outdid myself using such little battery life. To put things into context, based on what we paid for our last charge, it cost only ₹30 to reach Srinagar from Sonmarg. The candy bar I was eating cost me that much. That didn’t stop Race from still rolling her eyes at me. I was unbothered. My mission now, the next stop – hopefully reach Punjab the next day.

By the time we came back, the snow may have melted at Zojila, but the roads remained treacherous. -Shot by Avdhoot A Kolhe for Evo India

From Punjab, the journey became smoother. Wide highways and an expanding EV charging network made progress swift. Our route took us through Ludhiana, Narnaul, Udaipur, Surat, Mumbai, Chikmagalur, Bilgi, Thorapalli and towards Kerala. Along the way, we discovered charging stations in the most unexpected places, including a fast charger in Bhilwara. The Ioniq 5 consistently delivered over 450km of range, and on certain sections, I even managed to extract over 540km. Even Race, ever the petrolhead, grew quieter about her EV apprehensions.

Charging shenanigans

The topic of EV charging infrastructure has been dissected by everyone – from journalists and EV users to social media influencers and anyone with a functioning vocal cord. Yet none of their opinions gave me a reassuring sense of security about completing this journey seamlessly. My concerns about charging were something I kept strictly to myself. I didn’t want the team to sense any doubt and I was especially determined not to give Race even the slightest excuse to criticise EVs.

Charging stops offered something unique that I'd never experienced during my travels across India. -Shot by Avdhoot A Kolhe for Evo India

As it turned out, my apprehensions were unwarranted. Before we set off, I’d familiarised myself with the MyHyundai app, which maps over 10,000 charging stations – Hyundai’s own and third-party chargers alike. Sandy and I constantly referred to this app whenever we needed to plan a charging stop. To our surprise, we found chargers even in places we’d barely heard of. For instance, Bhilwara – ever heard of it? Yet there we found a 60kWh fast charger, seemingly plonked in the middle of nowhere. This wasn’t an isolated case. Time and again, we came across fast chargers with capacities exceeding 60kWh, ensuring we never had to remain stationary for long.

The Ioniq 5’s 72.5kWh battery proved impressively reliable, consistently delivering over 450km of range – even on days when I abandoned my “range extender” title and began slicing through traffic. When I did focus on maximising efficiency, I managed to extract over 540km from a single charge on several occasions. The entire crew was genuinely impressed – well, everyone except Race, who stubbornly remained loyal to her old-school fuel hose. Her scepticism about EVs hadn’t wavered. “Something needs to be done about this,” I thought to myself.

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Charging stops, however, offered something unique that I’d never experienced before during my travels across India. The extra time we spent waiting became an unexpected blessing, allowing us to truly immerse ourselves in the places we visited. We indulged in local delicacies from every state, played cricket, explored lush agricultural fields, and even sampled crickets (yes, the insects – considered a delicacy in certain parts of India). These moments transformed our journey into something more meaningful; we weren’t merely passing through India, but truly experiencing it.

These pauses also gave me the perfect opportunity to engage Race in conversations about EVs, addressing her concerns and showcasing the unexpected joys this journey had brought us. In the end, charging wasn’t just a necessity – it became an integral part of our adventure.

The strange silence

“I don’t think EVs are reliable. They’re heavy and I’m not sure how they handle the varied terrain and road conditions in India,” Race declared with conviction. “But we’ve been tackling some of the roughest roads, climates and conditions imaginable, and so far, the number of problems we’ve faced with the Ioniq 5 are… none,” I replied. “It’s not just about getting somewhere; it’s about how you feel when you get there. I feel no connection, no emotion with an EV. They make no sound, have no soul and definitely don’t make driving fun,” she retorted, unwavering in her stance.

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At that moment, a realisation hit me – we had been driving for over two weeks, and she hadn’t once been behind the ’wheel of the Ioniq 5. “How can she truly understand the character of this car without experiencing it for herself?” I thought. After our next charging stop, I invited her: “Why don’t you take the ’wheel?”

Race, ever the skilled driving enthusiast, quickly familiarized herself with the car. As she settled into her rhythm, I sat beside her, waiting. I anticipated some kind of reaction – perhaps a comment, an acknowledgement, anything. But there was only silence accompanied by a faint smirk on her face. It was clear she was thinking, processing and, dare I say, enjoying the drive.

Feeling confident about our range, I suggested she floor the accelerator. I had done this countless times myself, each occasion sparking an addiction to the instant surge of torque that rivalled many supercars. I watched as she cautiously pressed her right foot down, progressively testing the car’s power. A few moments later, as she grew more comfortable, her foot went all the way down. The Ioniq 5 surged forward and I saw her smirk bloom into a full smile. Yet, the silence lingered. I began to lose hope, thinking she might be too proud to admit her enjoyment or that her loyalty to internal combustion engines was simply unshakable.

Then, about an hour later, she finally broke the silence. “This is mad,” she exclaimed. I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “How can a car be this spacious, this comfortable, this fast, this easy to drive, this fun, and this good-looking – all at the same time?” she continued, her tone brimming with genuine amazement. Ah, the moment I’d been waiting for. Race had turned. My personal mission – beyond achieving a new world record – was accomplished. I had managed to convert an unapologetic petrolhead into a fervent admirer of volts and watts. And it wasn’t even my doing. It was the car’s.

From that point onward, Race couldn’t get enough of the Ioniq 5. She seized every opportunity to sit in it, take photos with it, and drive it. By the end of the journey, she was its biggest advocate. That’s when I became convinced: anyone who experiences the joys of driving an EV won’t willingly go back to ICE.

The record

As the journey neared its end, fatigue and setbacks tested us. At one point, Race, who by now had firmly established herself in the Ioniq 5, realised that I forgot to restart the GPS after a stop. A sense of dread filled the car. The GPS had to be turned on at all times to record our route – crucial evidence for Guinness World Records. Any gap in the data would cast doubt on the record’s validity. There was no other option: we had to retrace our steps to the last recorded point, restart the GPS and drive the route again, sacrificing precious time and battery range. Another time, the dashcam wire was accidentally snapped, delaying us until we found a replacement. And then there was the weather, with a cyclone in Tamil Nadu slowing our progress further.

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Despite these challenges, we pressed on, reaching Kerala’s narrow, coconut-lined roads and stayed the night in Alleppey. The next morning, with the sun rising over Kerala, the day of reckoning had arrived. We reached Kuttanad, the lowest region in India, but the challenge wasn’t over. We needed to find the absolute lowest point where the Ioniq 5 could go. The famed rice fields of Kuttanad lie at about 4 metres below sea level, but we couldn’t drive on them. Instead, we searched for a patch of road that would allow the GPS to record the lowest possible reading. As I carefully manoeuvred the car through narrow lanes, almost into people’s homes, Sandy, Race and Benny scoured the area on foot, looking for suitable spots. After a couple of hours, we found it – a small patch of road next to someone’s house that appeared to be slightly below sea level. We parked the car, held our breath, and let the GPS do its job.

“-1.”

“-2.”

With slight movements further, the GPS displayed “-3 metres.”

That was it – the lowest point we could take the car.

At its highest, we had taken the Ioniq 5 to 5,799 metres. At its lowest, it recorded -3 metres.

The total elevation change was 5,802 metres – a new world record.

Rishi Nath, Adjudicator, Guinness World RecordsTM handing the official record certificate for the greatest elevation change by an electric car at 5,802metres, achieved by evo India, driving a Hyundai Ioniq 5 on December 3, 2024 to Unsoo Kim, managing director, HMIL. (Remaining from left to right) TarunGarg, whole-time director and chief operating officer, HMIL, J.T.Park, executive director, sales, marketing & service, HMIL and Ed Sirish Chandran.

Relief and joy swept over us as we celebrated not only the record but also the fact that we could finally head home. Over the following days, I submitted all the required data and evidence to Guinness World Records to make the achievement official. But this journey wasn’t just about breaking a record. We had also shattered a myth: EVs can handle long-distance journeys across challenging terrain, and they can do so without breaking a sweat. In many ways, as I’ve now come to believe, they can outperform traditional internal combustion vehicles. This wasn’t just a record-breaking trip – it was a glimpse into the future.