Nissan Pole to Pole electric vehicle expedition reaches the South Pole

Chris and Julie Ramsey, husband and wife adventurers have completed their all-electric vehicle journey to the South Pole in Antarctica in a Nissan Ariya.

The first successful pole to pole drive in an EV, which aimed to raise global interest in electric mobility saw a distance of over 30 000km covered in an all-electric Nissan Ariya.

The 10-month, 30 000km adventure started on the frozen Arctic Sea at the 1823 Magnetic North Pole and saw the duo traverse the varied terrains and conditions of North, Central and South America before carefully traversing the most remote continent on the planet, to the reach the South Pole. This is the first time that any car, let alone an EV, has completed such a journey.

Across the long distances and challenging off-road terrain, the Nissan Ariya with e-4ORCE all-wheel control passed the toughest tests at extreme temperatures and high altitudes. The vehicle received no modifications to the powertrain or battery but was modified by polar mobility specialists Arctic Trucks, to accommodate 39-inch BF Goodrich tyres. This allowed the Ariya to comfortably cope with a wide variety of terrain including ice fields, deep snow, steep mountain climbs and inhospitable desert dunes.

The pairing began planning their Pole to Pole adventure in 2017 after completing the Mongol Rally in their Nissan Leaf, the first time that an electric vehicle had completed that 10 000km route. They duo recognised how much interest in electric vehicles this type of epic adventure could generate, while at the same time creating a legacy of charging infrastructure.

A portable, renewable energy unit was also used to charge the Ariya in the polar regions. This towable prototype includes a lightweight wind turbine and solar panels that allowed the Adventurers to take advantage of the high winds and long daylight hours to charge the EV’s battery when the couple stopped to rest.

“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. 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,” commented Chris.

”This has been an incredible journey, with the people we’ve met, the friends we’ve made and the support we’ve received. 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. These supporters and contributors want to make a difference and share the excitement of electric driving,” said Julie.

”On behalf of everyone at Nissan, congratulations on completing Pole to Pole. We all admire your daring spirit and passion for pushing the boundaries of electric adventure. It has been an extraordinary journey to follow and a point of pride for us at Nissan. It has shown how Nissan’s innovative technology continues to deliver excitement, whether on a trip to the office or to the Antarctic,” added Allyson Witherspoon, Corporate vice president, Nissan Global Marketing, Brand and Merchandising.