Surrounded by the vast ice-covered Arctic Ocean, EV adventurers Chris and Julie Ramsey have started their Pole to Pole expedition in a Nissan ARIYA all-electric SUV.
Following a comprehensive safety assessment, the team set out from the 1823 North Magnetic Pole.
Their journey ahead will see them drive south, covering almost 17,000 miles through North, Central and South America, aiming ultimately to reach the world’s most remote place, Antarctica’s South Pole, in December.
No vehicle has ever completed the journey between these extremes of the globe, and the Pole to Pole team are undertaking the challenge in a 100 percent electric vehicle.
The couple have embarked on the journey to showcase just how capable electric vehicles are, with the hope to accelerate their adoption as a positive action against the climate crisis.
The expedition-ready Nissan ARIYA has undergone some minor modifications to help it cope with the extreme terrains that the team are set to face along their route.
Most notably, the suspension has been lifted, and wheel arches extended to accommodate huge 39-inch tires 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, the advanced electric all-wheel control technology from Nissan.
As the couple travel through the remote polar regions, they will tow 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, harnessing the natural energy to charge the ARIYA’s battery, while Chris and Julie take breaks from driving in the challenging environment.
The team hope the charging innovation can have a positive legacy by inspiring a transition to electric vehicles for future polar exploration.
“After four years of planning and hard work, we’re so excited to officially get Pole to Pole underway,” Chris said at the start of the adventure. “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 5,000km 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 are 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.”
