<
https://electrek.co/2023/12/17/the-first-ever-drive-from-north-to-south-pole-is-complete-and-it-was-all-electric/>
"After nearly nine months on the road, an all-electric Nissan Ariya has become
the first vehicle ever, gas or electric, to drive all the way from North to
South pole, piloted by Chris Ramsey of Plug in Adventures and his wife Julie.
The Scottish couple, who previously became the first to complete the Mongol
Rally in an EV, set off from the magnetic North Pole in March in a modified
Nissan Ariya, built with the help of Arctic Trucks, an Icelandic company that
specializes in preparing vehicles for the most difficult conditions on Earth.
The idea was to use the Ariya as a proof-of-concept for future EV mods, and
potentially to eventually replace the diesel vehicles currently used for
Antarctic research and expeditions.
But it’s not actually all that far off from stock – the biggest change is
39-inch tires which required modified wheel arches. Other than that, the
powertrain and suspension are mostly stock (just lifted), with no gearbox
change as would have been necessary on a gas or diesel vehicle. Several gear
solutions were added, along with tow hitches and some frame and underbody
reinforcement.
Arctic Trucks called the mod the “AT39,” but over the course of the trip, the
couple adopted a new name for their Ariya: “Sonrisa,” the Spanish word for
smile.
Now, in December, the couple has finally reached the South Pole after nine
months and 17,000 miles of travails along the way. Nine months may seem like a
long time but it was actually the original plan, a schedule necessitated by
polar weather and the changing seasons – and by climate change as well."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
