- A modified Nissan Ariya EV has become the first vehicle to drive from the North to the South Pole.
- Chris and Julie Ramsey traveled 17,000 miles in their EV, which they called Sonrisa.
- The couple embarked on the trip to dispel myths about how capable EVs are.
An EV has just become the first vehicle to drive from the North to the South Pole.
After a mammoth 10-month journey, Chris and Julie Ramsey arrived at the South Pole on December 15 on their "Pole-to-Pole" challenge, having traveled more than 17,000 miles in a modified Nissan Ariya EV.
The duo set out from the Magnetic North Pole in March and have become the first people in history to drive from the North to the South Pole in any kind of vehicle — gas or electric — per Nissan.
"We made it! After a tough and testing final leg of the expedition in Antarctica, we have finally finished," the couple wrote in a post on Instagram.
"Six years ago the idea and dream behind this expedition with purpose was born. Many thought it was crazy. Today that dream has come true," they added.
The Ramsey's Ariya, which they nicknamed "Sonrisa," meaning "smile" in Spanish, was outfitted with several modifications to enable it to drive across everything from frozen sea ice to the Atacama desert. This included 39-inch tires with modified wheel arches and roof-mounted solar panels to help charge the car in the Antarctic.
However, the couple stressed that the changes made to the car were minimal.
"One of the things that underpins all the adventures we do is that we take a standard production EV and aim to make minimal changes to clearly demonstrate its real, everyday capabilities, regardless of where you are driving it.
Our Nissan Ariya is no different as the vehicle's drivetrain and battery has remained factory standard, demonstrating just how capable and versatile the production Ariya is," Chris Ramsey said.
The cold polar weather posed its own challenges, with the Scottish couple having to build snow walls around the front of the vehicle to prevent the EV's battery from freezing.
The Ramseys previously became the first to compete in the Mongol Rally in an EV, driving 10,000 miles from the UK to Mongolia in a modified Nissan Leaf, and wrote on Instagram that they had undertaken their latest adventure to debunk myths about how capable EVs are.
"We hope to have inspired and educated many of you on the truths of electric mobility and debunked the common myths out there still surrounding EVs," wrote the couple.
"Ev's are capable, they are fun and exciting to drive, they are reliable and resilient and more importantly kinder to our planet," they said.
EV uptake is on the rise in the US, with sales set to hit record highs this year.
However, some customers are still reluctant to take the plunge on an electric car over the perception that EVs are unreliable and slow to charge, and that the only ones worth buying are costly vehicles with larger ranges.
By crossing three continents in a modified Ariya with under 200 miles of range, Chris and Julie have refuted that idea — and the couple also managed to improve conditions for other EV drivers on the way.
While passing through Peru, they collaborated with energy company Enel X Way to install EV charging stations along their route.
