Scottish adventurer Chris Ramsey will embark on a 27,000 km (16,777 mi) journey behind a Nissan Aria wheel with the goal of being the first vehicle – let alone an EV – to be driven from north to south pole.
The “Pole to Pole” adventure will begin in March 2023 The team will start at the North Pole and continue in North, Central and South America, before crossing Antarctica and finally reaching the South Pole. The long journey will include ice-covered glaciers, mountaineering and vast desert hills, with temperatures between -30 ⁰ C and 30 ⁰ C.
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A preview of a set of sketches showing the visual changes in the expedition that will be used in the Nissan Aria. Changes to the road-going version will include larger wheels with all-terrain tires, a new suspension setup, a sick body kit with skid plates, plastic cladding in wheel arches, and a roof-mounted structure with additional LEDs.
Nissan did not mention any upgrades to the electric powertrain, so we speculate that the car will have a larger 90 kWh battery and dual-motor setup with a combined 389 hp (290 kW / 394 PS) and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm). Nissan’s E-4 ORCE electric all-wheel-drive system will work in difficult terrain, although charging an EV over such a long distance would require many stops.
In addition to the specially designed SUV, there will be a second and fully stock Ariya e-4ORCE joining the team as a support vehicle across North, Central and South America.
Chris Ramsay has been adventuring on EV for over a decade. He completed 1,625 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 2015 and returned to a Nissan Leaf, while in 2017 he and his wife drove 16,000 kilometers (9,942 miles) in their own Nissan Leaf, the first team to complete it. There was a Mongol gathering in an EV.
Speaking about the “pole-to-pole” adventure, Chris Ramsay said: “Our goal is to show electric vehicles that can withstand the harshest environmental conditions – from the bitter cold of the poles to the warm and humid jungles of South America – and to illustrate this everyday for drivers “They’re excited to be driving to meet the demand. It’s great to see such an important and innovative global brand partner with our campaign.”