For all those still thinking that electric cars are short-ranged little things, useful only for city-hops, adventurer Chris Ramsey has some news for you — he’s going to try to drive from one Pole to the other in an electric car.
Ramsey, who already holds a Guinness World Record for the longest journey on an electric bike, says that he’ll try to drive from the South Pole to the North Pole — more than 27,000km, across 140 countries — in an electric truck to “raise awareness of climate change and the role that electric cars can play in reducing our carbon footprint.”
Ramsey will make his attempt in late 2022, starting at the magnetic South Pole and finishing at magnetic North, and passing through a temperature change from -30C to 28C along the way.
“Our mission is to show that electric vehicles can tackle the harshest of environments – from the colds of the Poles, to the hot and humid jungles of South America. This is the ultimate test of range and durability, and by overcoming these obstacles we aim to prove that EV adoption is a possibility for everyone, while also raising awareness of sustainable lifestyles, conservation projects and renewable energy innovation along our route” said Ramsey.
“For some people climate change can feel like an issue that is too big for them to have an impact on, but with road vehicles accounting for more than 20 per cent of all harmful emissions worldwide, the switch to electric cars powered by renewable energy could dramatically reduce our carbon footprint. By driving over 17,000 miles in these environmental extremes, our aim is to demonstrate that EVs are more than capable of meeting our everyday needs.”
Experience
Ramsey’s vehicle hasn’t been shown to us yet, but it will have pedigree — it will be designed and engineered by Arctic Trucks, the same company that created the special Toyota HiLux pickup that the Top Gear team used to drive to the North Pole in 2007.
Emil Grimsson, Chairman of Arctic Trucks, said: “For over 20 years we have specialised in providing logistical support, engineering expertise and expedition planning for projects in both Polar Regions. Our setup and expedition solutions have proven over five times the fuel efficiency of a traditional setup and we are continually looking for improvements.
We acknowledge that battery-based electric vehicles have important hurdles to overcome for use in the extreme cold, a challenge for which we are excited to be a part of developing solutions. The Polar Regions are very important to us all for variety of reasons and operations there will only increase. This project will give us important information about how we develop our future vehicles. We’re very excited to be working alongside Chris and his team to offer our support to this timely and unique adventure.”
Ramsey has some form in this kind of long-haul electric drive. In 2017, he and his wife, Julie, became the first team to complete the Mongol Rally in an electric vehicle, travelling over 10,000 miles through 20 countries in 56 days driving from Goodwood Racing Circuit in the UK to Siberia.
