Following a comprehensive safety assessment, the team set out from the 1823 North Magnetic Pole*. Their journey ahead will see them drive south, covering more than 27,000 km through North, Central and South America, aiming ultimately to reach the world’s most remote place, Antarctica’s South Pole, in December.
No vehicle has ever completed the journey between these extremes of the globe and the Pole to Pole team are undertaking the challenge in a 100% electric vehicle. Chris and Julie have embarked on the journey to showcase just how capable and exciting electric vehicles are, with the hope to accelerate their adoption as a positive action against the climate crisis.
The expedition-ready Nissan ARIYA has undergone some minor modifications to help it cope with the extreme terrains that the team are set to face along their route. Most notably the suspension has been lifted and wheel arches extended to accommodate huge 39-inch tires that will help the car ‘float’ on deep snow and sea ice. No modifications were made to the Ariya’s battery and powertrain, which remain standard, or the e-4ORCE system, Nissan’s advanced electric all-wheel-control technology.
As the couple travels through the remote polar regions, they will tow an innovative renewable energy unit, which includes an extendable wind turbine and foldable solar panels. The prototype will take advantage of the expected high winds and long daylight hours, harnessing the natural energy to charge the ARIYA’s battery, whilst Chris and Julie take well-earned breaks from driving in the challenging environment. The team hope the charging innovation can have a positive legacy by inspiring a transition to electric vehicles for future polar exploration.
“After four years of planning and hard work, we’re so excited to officially get Pole to Pole underway,” Chris commented from the start. “Julie and I have done several EV adventures over the past 10 years but Pole to Pole is definitely our biggest and most exciting challenge. We’ve had to think differently, be innovative and collaborate with like-minded partners to make this expedition a reality. Our expedition ARIYA is fun to drive and performed well over the 5,000 km journey to get to this starting point. It gives us the confidence we can tackle every driving scenario we’ll face in the coming months.” Julie added, “We’re excited to share our adventure with you and shine a light on the amazing people, communities and projects along the way that is making a positive difference to the climate crisis. We’d love for everyone to be part of Pole to Pole, so please follow and get involved in the adventure on our social channels.”