One British couple has started the world-first Pole-to-Pole adventure in their new electric Nissan Ariya.
Surrounded by the treacherous ice-covered Arctic Ocean, EV adventurers Chris and Julie Ramsey have started their inaugural Pole to Pole expedition.
Following a comprehensive safety assessment, the team set out from the ‘1823’ North Magnetic Pole. Their journey will see them heading down south, covering more than 27,000 km through North, Central and South America, with the ultimate goal of reaching Antarctica’s South Pole in December 2023.
No vehicle has ever completed the journey thus far between these two extreme ends of the globe, and the Pole to Pole team will be undertaking the challenge in a 100% electric vehicle – the Nissan Ariya. This journey will serve as a showcase of just how capable and exciting EVs are, with the hope to accelerate their adoption into the mainstream automotive world as a positive action against the climate crisis.
Of course, to cope with the harsh conditions and extreme terrains along the foreseeable route, the expedition-ready Nissan Ariya has undergone some minor modifications. The suspension has been lifted and wheel arches extended to accommodate huge 39-inch tyres that will help the car ‘float’ on deep snow and sea ice. No modifications were made to the Ariya’s battery and powertrain, which remain standard, or the e-4ORCE system, Nissan’s new all-wheel drive EV setup.
To regain charge, the Ariya will be towing an innovative renewable energy unit, which includes an extendable wind turbine and foldable solar panels. The prototype will take advantage of the expected high winds and long daylight hours and harness the natural energy to charge the Ariya’s battery.
“After four years of planning and hard work, we’re so excited to officially get Pole to Pole underway,” Chris commented. “Julie and I have done several EV adventures over the past 10 years but Pole to Pole is definitely our biggest and most exciting challenge. We’ve had to think differently, be innovative and collaborate with like-minded partners to make this expedition a reality.”
“Our expedition Ariya is fun to drive and performed well over the 5,000 km journey to get to this starting point. It gives us the confidence we can tackle every driving scenario we’ll face in the coming months.” Julie added, “We’re excited to share our adventure with you and shine a light on the amazing people, communities and projects along the way that is making a positive difference to the climate crisis. We’d love for everyone to be part of Pole to Pole, so please follow and get involved in the adventure on our social channels.”
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