The Nissan Ariya e-4orce has become the first-ever land vehicle to travel from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole, taking 9+ months and around 30 000 km to complete the journey.

Scottish couple Chris and Julia Ramsey from Plug in Adventures took on the challenge of improving infrastructure in remote regions and showcasing EV capabilities for overlanding and arctic expeditions.

The Nissan Ariya e-4orce used for the Pole to Pole Electric Vehicle Expedition is not precisely a stock car, nor far from it. It was outfitted with 39-inch tires and modified wheel arches from Icelandic specialist Arctic Trucks, which also provided support in the most extreme regions – and a lifted suspension to accommodate the big wheels.

Charging and weather challenges

This meant the Ariya e-4orce’s range dropped from 513 km (WLTP) to more likely some 250-320 km in the real world. That made some legs of the journey challenging due to the lack of infrastructure. The couple partnered up with Enel X to install chargers along the route in Peru, but with sometimes no other options available, a gasoline-powered generator was used to recharge the battery.

The other challenges were mostly related to the climate. The trip was rushed from the North Pole due to the melting ice road, which happened much sooner than usual due to global warming.

In the last stretch, the Ariya had to be protected with snow walls to prevent its battery from freezing and to improve charging efficiency. The final leg also had to occur in the warm(er) season, as the weather would otherwise become too extreme to travel.

EV capability proven

Ultimately, the couple arrived at the South Pole on 15 December, just in time for Christmas. The trip took nearly ten months and 30 000 km, reinforcing the couple’s belief that EVs are the future. “EVs are capable, fun and exciting to drive, reliable and resilient, and more importantly kinder to our planet.”

Chris and Julie were no strangers to electric adventures after completing the Mongol Rally in 2017 with the first-gen Nissan Leaf, a 10 000-km challenge to prove the capabilities of electric vehicles.