Pole to Pole is the ultimate electric expedition and a world first, which started on 30 March 2023. Husband and wife explorers Chris & Julie Ramsey are no strangers to electric driving challenges. They've been testing the limits of EVs for the past 10 years, becoming the first people to complete the gruelling 17,000km Mongol Rally in an electric vehicle, their own Nissan Leaf.
On this expedition, the couple are driving an all-electric Nissan Ariya as they attempt to travel more than 27,000km across three continents from the 1823 Magnetic North Pole in the frozen Arctic Ocean, to the South Pole in Antarctica. They made their way through Oregon and dropped in on the Southwire Portland E-Prix in June as they dipped into the United States of America leg of their journey.
Two cars, two different worlds, one common goal 🤜🤛🏁 @PoletoPoleEV arrives at the #PortlandEPrix!@Nissan #NissanFormulaE #FeelElectric #PortlandEPrix pic.twitter.com/fnUTKYxhcD
— Nissan NISMO (@NISMO) June 23, 2023
Adventure: Nissan's DNA
The Pole to Pole team entrusted Nissan, with the company's strong record of innovation, to help them take on this EV expedition and chose the advanced Nissan Ariya as a versatile and highly capable expedition vehicle.
Retaining the production spec vehicle, particularly the standard battery and powertrain, is essential to the credibility of Pole to Pole but some necessary modifications were made in collaboration with polar mobility experts Arctic Trucks. These include raised suspension and 39-inch snow tyres, that were tested in Iceland’s Arctic-like terrain.
FOLLOW: Chris and Julie's Pole to Pole expedition
Chris and Julie recharge the car in the polar regions using innovative portable charging tech. They’ll tow a prototype trailer carrying a lightweight wind turbine and solar panels, making the most of high winds and long daylight hours to charge the car battery.
The expedition Ariya features Nissan’s advanced electric all-wheel-control technology, e-4ORCE, to enable Chris and Julie to feel confident even when tackling the most challenging landscapes, from ice and snow-covered tracks to desert climbs.
As well as the latest tech to keep Chris and Julie comfortable and connected, their custom expedition Ariya has extra features and home comforts to help along the route, including an integrated espresso machine, weather station and a drone to capture their stunning surroundings.