When electric vehicles first started coming to market, a great many drivers possessed some major concerns about range anxiety — an area only furthered by the meager charging infrastructure that existed a decade ago. As EV powertrain and battery technologies have advanced, however, today’s modern electric cars are now capable of delivering levels of autonomy that rival their petrol-powered counterparts. In an effort to prove this point, Nissan has partnered with a husband and wife team to produce a lifted and ruggedized Ariya that’s scheduled to soon tackle a daring pole-to-pole expedition.
Taken on by Chris and Julie Ramsey, the Nissan Pole to Pole Expedition will see an Ariya traverse some 16,800 miles of unforgiving terrain, journeying from the magnetic North Pole all the way down to the South Pole. In order to prepare the Ariya for this ambitious excursion, Nissan has called on the polar off-roading experts at Arctic Trucks. Starting with a bone-stock Ariya specimen, the Icelandic outfit has treated the electric SUV to off-road wheels shod in 39” BF Goodrich tires, a lift kit, and flared fenders at all four corners that open up space for the project’s beefier tires and increased suspension travel.
Interestingly, the donor vehicle’s powertrain — complete with Nissan’s e-4ORCE advanced electric all-wheel-control system — has been left untouched. Also remaining almost entirely stock, the interior of the Ariya has been bestowed with a specially integrated espresso machine and a roof-mounted utility unit that houses a deployable recon drone. In order to ensure the EV has the range needed to complete the trip, the vehicle will tow a portable, renewable energy unit with a packable, lightweight wind turbine and solar panels that will be used to charge the Ariya while it traverses countless miles of thoroughly off-grid polar terrain.
Chris and Julie Ramsey are slated to embark on their nearly 17,000-mile journey this March.
