Nissan's Ariya Just Became The First EV To Trek 18K Miles From North To South Pole
Scots Chris and Julie Ramsey became the first to complete a drive from the 1823 Magnetic North Pole to South Pole in a production EV, culminating their 10-month "Pole To Pole EV" expedition. They had reached the Southern Pole on Friday December 15, but due to communication blackouts for a scientific ice project nearby, they were only able to hail their success until after they left the Pole.
While the Ariya was mostly stock, the vehicle obviously had to be equipped for the long journey through varying temperatures and terrain. In collaboration with Nissan and Arctic Trucks, the SUV rode on 39-inch tires with enlarged arches and raised suspension, winterized gear, bash plates, and other body reinforcement. With the added equipment, the range of the stock electric powertrain was seeing between 150 to 200 miles of range.
Since the couple started in the 1823 Magnetic North Pole near the Northwestern Passages, the car had access to charging stations along the northern Americas. This became more challenging as they passed through Central and South America, but with the help of EV charging provider Enel X Way, dedicated chargers were installed along the way. These chargers are expected to be left for public use as well.
The Ariya could also be charged either via a 5kW wind turbine or solar hybrid charging station, although they had a fallback petrol generator just for emergencies or when traversing the Polar landscape.
Chris and Julie Ramsey have been champions of long-range EV challenges since 2017, where they burst into global attention when they completed the 10,000 mile-long Mongol Rally (from UK to Mongolia) in a Nissan Leaf—modified, of course.
