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• Nissan unveils the version of the Ariya that will make the journey between the North and South Poles.
• The EV is mounted on huge 39-inch tires to handle the rough and tough terrains it will face.
• A mobile charging unit will be carried to overcome the lack of infrastructure in some places.
A couple attempting to travel by car between the North and South Poles is not unheard of. Rare, but not unheard of. In the case of husband-wife duo Chris and Julie Ramsey, what’s notable is that they are embarking on their adventure at the wheel of a Nissan Ariya. The Japanese automaker today unveiled today Ariya model tasked with meeting this challenge.
As you can see, the EV has been highly modified. Work was carried out by Arctic Trucks, which made sure to provide it with the necessary equipment to face the different types of terrain that lie ahead. That equipment includes huge 39-inch tires, housed under modified wheel wells. At the same time, Arctic Trucks, which worked with Nissan to prepare the vehicle, did make every effort to keep it as original as possible.
The plan is for the Ramseys to drive this Ariya between the North and South magnetic poles. Along the way, they will encounter with cold, mountainous and rocky terrain, deserts with suffocating heat, everything but the kitchen sink and maybe even that.
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In addition to the bigger tires, the suspension has been modified to increase ground clearance and solid skid plates have been installed underneath the model. Both bumpers have anchor points that can be used for carrying extra equipment.
What hasn’t been changed is the all-electric configuration of the Ariya. And that's where the challenge takes on another dimension. In its original configuration, the electric SUV has a range of about 490 km. With the tires and modifications, that will be much less. Add to that the extreme temperatures awaiting the team, and it’s clear that range will be pretty limited in some areas.
Which begs the question: What about charging stations on the route? We guess that in many places, there simply won’t be any. Of course, the organizers have planned for that.
Nissan has developed a “portable renewable energy unit” mounted on a trailer. The installation includes a wind turbine and solar panels, so it should be able to recharge the Ariya's battery when the driver and co-pilot are on break.
The itinerary for the trip has not yet been released, but it’s expected the Ramseys will set off in their modified Nissan Ariya in March.
