Yokohama, Japan - A 27 000 kilometre cross-continent expedition is quite an accomplishment in any car, but when that vehicle is fully electric, suddenly it seems a lot more complicated.
But that’s not stopping British adventurer Chris Ramsey from undertaking the world’s first all-electric driving expedition, in partnership with Nissan, which will take him from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole.
The journey is expected to commence in March 2023 and Ramsay will be driving a Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE, which is the Japanese carmaker’s latest battery-powered midsize crossover product. Predicted temperatures range from -30⁰C to 30⁰C.
If successful, Ramsey will be the first person to drive from pole to pole in a vehicle of any type as he makes his way from the Arctic through North, Central and South America, before crossing to Antarctica.
The route will take him through some of the world’s most extreme and brutal, yet beautiful scenery, from snow-covered glacial landscapes to treacherous mountain climbs and vast desert dunes.
To cope with the freezing Arctic and Antarctic conditions, Ramsey’s Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE will be modified with a custom rugged exterior fit for the trek across extreme terrain with upgraded wheels, tyres and suspension.
A second, unmodified Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE will act as a support vehicle throughout the Americas.
This isn’t his first all-electric expedition. In 2017, Ramsey, together with his wife Julie, became the first team to complete the Mongol Rally in an all-electric vehicle. The couple travelled over 16 000km through multiple locales over 56 days in his own Nissan Leaf.
“Our mission is to show that electric vehicles can tackle the harshest of environments – from the bitter cold of the poles to the hot and humid jungles of South America, and illustrate that they are exhilarating to drive whilst meeting the daily demands of drivers around the world,” Ramsey said.
“It’s fantastic to see such an important and innovative global brand partner with our expedition.”
IOL Motoring