“Brother, get a million.”
A friend of Arun Ghosh told him this after the speedometer of his car showed 500,000 kilometers.
And he did.
The 38-year-old man from Niagara Falls, Ontario, who describes himself as a “really, really passionate car and driving enthusiast,” told CBC Hamilton it took years, but he finally reached his goal of driving one million kilometers in his vehicle – a 2014 Honda Accord.
On July 30, when he was still about 100 kilometers from his goal, Ghosh set out with friends to reach seven digitized copies.
Their journey began near the Peace Bridge at the U.S. border, which for Ghosh symbolizes the opportunities he has found in Canada since moving from Cherthala, India, to Welland, Ontario in 2017.
When Ghosh crossed the millionth kilometer, things did not go as hoped.
“I was counting one, three zeros and three zeros,” he said.
But instead the odometer stopped at 999,999.
“I didn’t know what to do.”
Ghosh is now asking Honda to provide him with a custom-made seven-digit odometer to not only log his performance but also to track the next million kilometers, which he hopes to achieve.
A local Honda dealer told CBC Hamilton that they were looking into this possibility for him.
Driving is Ghosh’s passion
When Ghosh came to Canada in 2017 as an international student at Niagara College, he bought what he calls his “dream car.” The Honda Accord with a V6 engine had 90,000 kilometers on the clock at the time.
Ghosh quickly began adding more.
“My whole passion is for one thing,” and that is driving, he said.
For example, when he goes to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, he prefers to drive around rather than walk, he said.
“This is more fun for me,” he said.
He has also made a name for himself in the international student community by offering rides in exchange for the price of petrol, which is well worth it thanks to the V6 engine.
When asked if he had ever considered switching to a more efficient car to reduce costs and emissions, Ghosh said it was not a consideration for him as he enjoys driving his current car so much.
“It’s like floating on the street,” he said.
Canada aims to reduce emissions from passenger cars and light trucks as part of its comprehensive emissions reduction plan.
Ghosh drives six times more than the average Canadian
The website of Carfax Canada, which produces vehicle history reports, says the average Canadian drives about 20,000 kilometers per year.
Since he got his vehicle at the end of 2017, Ghosh is well above that, averaging around 130,000 kilometers per year.
As for maintenance, Ghosh follows a strict regime, using Honda parts, one brand of filter and another for petrol and engine oil. The Accord has its original transmission but a new engine, he said.
Jim Diodati, mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario, recently got into Ghosh’s car in front of City Hall.
In a video that Diodati posted on social media, he revs the car’s engine. “That doesn’t sound like a million kilometers,” the mayor said.
Highest mileage a local dealer has ever seen
Ghosh recently took the car to a Honda dealer in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Dealership manager Shamil Becharbhai told CBC Hamilton his staff couldn’t believe the car had even been driven that far.
In his 20 years in the industry, this is the highest-mileage car he has ever seen, Becharbhai said, with the second highest mileage being 550,000 kilometers.
He said he was looking into how Ghosh’s odometer could be improved.
It’s unclear how rare Ghosh’s case is. Honda Canada spokesman Ken Chiu told CBC Hamilton that the company doesn’t keep records of it.
“It’s rare, but it happens,” he said. “Not every day or every week or every month, but it happens.” Chiu said the achievement was “a cause for celebration.”
Becharbhai said he believes people can learn from Ghosh’s experience. Most people replace their cars every five to seven years, even though they often work perfectly.
“If you do maintenance regularly, your car will take care of you at the end of the day,” he said.
