EV completes record-breaking 18,500-mile journey pole to pole
- A couple just set a new record for EVs
- They drove from the North Pole to the South Pole
- The whole journey took place in a relatively stock-standard Nissan Ariya
Published on Dec 19, 2023 at 8:08 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Dec 20, 2023 at 6:01 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Adam Gray
The Nissan Ariya just set a unique new record.
A couple drove the EV on a 10-month journey from the North Pole to the South Pole.
What’s most impressive is the car received hardly any mods for the trip.
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Chris and Julie Ramsey combined their passion for sustainability with their love of adventure.
The pair decided to travel from the Arctic to Antarctica in an electric car – the Nissan Ariya.
After setting the EV up with some 39-inch tires to handle the snow, they set off.
They started in the North Pole, driving over the Arctic Ocean.
The journey then took them through a total of 14 countries, traveling through North America and South America.
“We’re experiencing everything from the coldest environment on the planet and some of the hilliest terrains in the world,” Chris said.
“We’re putting it through its toughest test, but we’re showing its capabilities.”
For most of the journey, the car was powered by solar and wind energy.
In total, they traveled about 18,500 miles (29,772 kilometers) – the first time an EV has completed a journey of this length.
They chose a $60,000 Nissan Ariya for the journey, certain it would be able to handle the various terrains.
“We designed that car with the vision that it would be fulfilling its role in many environments,” Mat Weaver, head of design at Nissan Europe, said.
The couple didn’t take on this challenge out of nowhere; they have a history of pushing EVs to their limits.
They were the first people to complete the Mongol Rally, considered the greatest motoring adventure on Earth, in an EV.
The course was over 6,000 miles long (9,656 kilometers), and the two did it in a Nissan Leaf.
As long-time leaders in the production of greener vehicles, Nissan was the obvious choice for the couple.
The Ariya, however, has a considerably low range.
This was lowered further by the large tires, fenders and the roof rack which carried their tent.
This meant the Ramseys had to stop often to charge.
While driving through the Antarctic, they used solar panels to charge at night.
This was possible due to the region being in an almost perpetual state of ‘daylight’ at the time of year they were there.
In the Americas, there were plenty of chargers along the route.
The couple stated that part of the point of their epic trip was to point out that with the right planning and preparation, your EV doesn’t have to have a huge range.
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Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
