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

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

Across long distances and challenging off-road terrains, the all-electric expedition vehicle, a Nissan Ariya with e-4ORCE all-wheel control, has passed the toughest tests at extreme temperatures and high altitudes. The vehicle – factory-standard with no modifications to the powertrain or battery – was modified by polar mobility specialists Arctic Trucks, to accommodate 39-inch BF Goodrich tires.

Chris and Julie began planning the Pole to Pole in 2017 after completing the Mongol Rally in their Nissan LEAF, the first time an EV had been used to tackle the 10,000-km challenge. See: Pole to Pole in an Electric vehicle

Chris commented, “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.”

Chris and Julie actually reached the South Pole on 15 Dec, however as they warned in their Instagram post via satellite as they were approaching: “We have been advised that there is a scientific ice project happening near the South Pole area and that all transmission devices need to be turned off which includes at the South Pole itself, therefore we will be switching off our communications heading to the Pole and will not be allowed to switch it back on again until we leave the Pole. This unfortunately means that we will be unable to share our progress with you until we leave the exclusion zone.” So we are only just hearing of their success now.

Having completed their epic journey, the couple speak the words all electric vehicle manufacturers, not just Nissan, want to hear: “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 EV’s. Ev’s are capable, they are fun and exciting to drive, they are reliable and resilient and more importantly kinder to our planet. Thank you again to everyone who has supported us. Never be afraid to push the boundaries.”