Modified Ariya revealed for Nissan Pole-to-Pole challenge

HHow much do you love your wife or husband or partner or ‘whatever’?

Enough to spend up to 13 hours a day in a car with them. Crossing 14 countries and covering 27,000kms. Taking 10 months. Do you love them that much now? Would you love them that much at the end?

To be fair, which we grudgingly will, Chris and Julie Ramsey have got previous, having completed the 17,000km Mongol Rally in their own issan eaf the first electric vehicle to achieve that feat. We can only assume they don’t like their home much.

But they do like electric vehicles. Which is why the are aiming to be the first vehicle let alone the first electric vehicle to travel from ole to ole n this case agnetic orth to o th ole he first is ta en care of b a towable portable renewable energy unit, given that recharging points in some large areas will be non-existent and those that do exist often get vandalised by polar bears. This unit has a wind turbine and solar panels so when they stop in remote places they can take advantage of long hours of daylight and that keening wind. lanning has ta en over their lives for the last four years, and it’s no surprise. After all, literally ole to ole ma es the beginning and end even more challenging than the middle ce fields deep snow and irate penguins will all be extremely testing, just as much as the steep mountains, deserts and moody camels they’ll have to get past. And we all know that battery technology does not like extreme cold one little bit, so it will be interesting to see how they get on.

The vehicle of choice is the Nissan Ariya, and they’re keeping it as standard as possible, with no changes to drivetrain or battery, so it’s relying on the e-4ORCE all-wheel drive technology. However the suspension had been seriously upgraded, in part to handle a set of 39” BFGoodrich tyres. But you may have already thought of a couple of potential problems.

The second potential problem is of course the more important one. You’ll be relieved to know they’ve installed an integrated espresso machine. You just know if they start running out of power the last of it is going to go on a final olt of caffeine.

But this is a redoubtable pair, who have shown their mettle before, so there’s a good chance the ’ll ma e it possibl still together f o want to follow their journey, they’ve set up a dedicated webpage together with Nissan. You can follow their travels from the comfort of your own home. With a hot coffee to hand of course.