Against the wintery backdrop of Iceland, Nissan took the covers off their Pole to Pole expedition Nissan Ariya EV. The ambitious project was first announced last year and now, the car in question is ready! The modified Ariya will take on a 27,000km journey from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole.
Set to begin in March, the Ariya will need to cope with extreme temperatures and tough terrains, remember that includes both ice as well as desert! For this, Nissan collaborated with Arctic Trucks who specialise in polar expedition vehicles to develop an Ariya to withstand all of the above.
Expedition leader, Chris Ramsey was proud to say that no major modifications were made to the car apart from slight tweaking of the suspension and the addition of 39-inch BF-Goodrich tyres. The electric powertrain and battery remains unchanged as well as Nissan’s e-4ORCE four wheel drive system!
To give Chris and his wife Julie a comfortable trip, an espresso machine has been integrated onboard with a supply of sustainable coffee! While that will keep the drivers recharged during this trip, a photographic drone which can launch directly from the roof of the car is on on hand for sightseeing! For the more remote parts of the journey, a towable renewable energy prototype will be on hand, it will include a lightweight wind turbine and solar panels to help recharge the EV’s battery.
The journey will be a world first for an electric car.
Thanks for reading! For more Nissan news, visit Tarmac Life.
Words by Matthew D’Souza, pictures courtesy of Nissan Newsroom Global.
