Deepika Agrawal 
A British adventurer couple has completed an all-electric pole-to-pole expedition on a modified Nissan Ariya, making the first time any car, let alone an EV, has completed such a journey. Chris and Julie Ramsey completed their journey from the North Pole to the South Pole in 10 months, covering 30,000 kilometres across 14 countries in three continents. The all-electric trip started at the frozen Arctic Sea at the 1823 Magnetic North Pole and culminated at the South Pole in Antarctica.
Nissan Ariya with modified wheels
They drove through varied terrains and conditions of North, Central and South America before meticulously traversing the most remote continent on the planet – Antarctica – to reach the South Pole. The Ariya they used for the journey came with e-4ORCE all-wheel control and factory-standard powertrain or battery. It was modified by polar mobility specialists Arctic Trucks, to accommodate 39-inch BF Goodrich tyres.
Planning of the journey
The couple started planning their Pole-to-Pole expedition in 2017 after completing the Mongol Rally in a Nissan LEAF. They marked the first time an EV had been used to tackle the 10,000 kilometre challenge. As they recognized how much interest this type of epic adventure could generate in electric vehicles, they gained confidence to go on the ultimate EV adventure. “I’m proud that Pole to Pole has reached millions of people in parts of the world and enthused them about embracing EV in their day to day lives,” said Chris.
Though he was confident that the Ariya would absorb all obstacles thrown at it, the epic journey was tougher than he anticipated. “I can’t believe we’re at the South Pole. After so many years of planning, it doesn’t feel real. I’ve always had full confidence in the amazing capabilities of electric vehicles, and I knew our Nissan Ariya would tackle everything thrown at it. But it’s been far tougher than I anticipated,” he said.
The journey started with just the two of them but it became a reality through collaboration and innovation with like-minded partners. “Pole to Pole started out as just Chris and I, but the expedition team is now made of up of thousands of kind, forward-thinking people,” said Julie.
