Nissan Motor Corporation and British adventurer Chris Ramsey will attempt to prove the mettle of the automaker's new electric Ariya crossover by driving it almost 17,000 miles from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole. According to Nissan, this will be the first time a drive like this has ever been done.
The route will take Ramsey from the North Pole down through Canada, the United States, Mexico, through Central and South America and finally to Antarctica. There will be some portions where the vehicle will need to be floated or flown. Temperatures on the journey will range from -22 degrees Fahrenheit to almost 90 degrees.
Set to begin in March 2023, the trip will include snowy glaciers, mountains, forests, jungles and desert sand dunes.
Ramsey isn't taking a run-of-the-mill Nissan Ariya from north to south, the Ariya e-4ORCE will be modified with a custom exterior with fender flares, roof lights and protective panel. It will get wheel, tire and suspension upgrades too. Nissan says a second, unmodified Ariya e-4ORCE will act as a support vehicle throughout its journey through the Americas.
The 87-kWh battery and dual-motor powertrain will remain as in the stock car with 389 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Maximum range on the all-wheel drive trim is 265 miles. That will make for a lot of charging stops over the global journey.
"We're proud to announce our partnership with Chris Ramsey and the Pole to Pole expedition team," said Nissan Executive Vice President Asako Hoshino, global head of marketing and sales in a press release.
"The all-new, all-electric Ariya crossover SUV enables you to go further, easier and in comfort. And with e-4ORCE control technology providing enhanced stability and traction on a variety of surfaces, we know it will be the perfect partner for Chris and his team on their challenging all-electric journey."
The 2023 Nissan Ariya officially arrives this fall. The front-wheel drive version will go the farthest at more than 300 miles before a charge. That model uses a 63-kWh battery with 238 horsepower and 231 pound-feet of torque. The Ariya can charge at 130 kilowatts, enough to take the battery from 10 to 80 percent charge in about 45 minutes, according to Nissan.
The Ariya starts at $45,950 before EV tax credits. That's about the same as the Kia EV6, Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5. The top Ariya Platinum + trim starts at $58,950 with the 389-horsepower output.
Ramsey's no stranger to this type of quest in electric vehicles. A few years ago he and his wife became the first team to complete the Mongol Rally in an EV, traveling almost 10,000 miles over 56 days.
"Our mission is to show that electric vehicles can tackle the harshest of environments – from the bitter cold of the poles to the hot and humid jungles of South America," said Ramsey in a press release. "And illustrate that they are exhilarating to drive whilst meeting the daily demands of drivers around the world. It's fantastic to see such an important and innovative global brand partner with our expedition."
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Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
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