Kildare visit for couple who drove EV from North Pole to South Pole

A Scottish couple who drove their Nissan Ariya electric vehicle over 29,000 kilometres from the 1823 Magnetic North Pole to the South Pole are set to visit county Kildare this week to pay homage to Sir Ernest Shackleton who inspired their epic journey.

Chris and Julie Ramsey set two new Guinness World Records when they completed their ‘Pole to Pole EV Expedition’ in 2023 after crossing 14 countries and 3 continents and their Irish adventure is set to be another big tick off their bucket list.

‘As EV Adventurers we were hugely inspired by Antarctic explorers like Sir Ernest Shackleton who was born in Kilkea in county Kildare. We followed in his footsteps, and we’re excited to visit the Shackleton Experience in Athy to learn more about him as part of our 1,000-kilometre EV trip around Ireland,’ said Chris.

‘We’re looking forward to promoting EV mobility at Nissan dealership along the way, including Nass Nissan, and to debunking many of the myths surrounding electric driving having proven through our own expeditions that EVs are reliable, resilient, and suitable for every type of weather and terrain imaginable,’ he added.

Chris and Julie’s life as EV Adventurers began soon after discovering a Nissan LEAF electric vehicle in 2013. They made history in 2017 when they entered the 30kWh electric car into the famous ‘Mongol Rally’, taking 56 days to cover the gruelling 16,000 kilometres from London to Ulan-Ude in Southern Siberia. 

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They spent the next six years planning every detail of their epic ‘Pole to Pole EV Expedition’ which aimed to showcase the capabilities of electric vehicles in extreme conditions and to promote the global shift towards clean, renewable energy. 

‘By this stage we’d upgraded to the Nissan Ariya EV and the remarkable thing about our epic journey is that we completed it in the standard model that anyone can find in any Nissan showroom. The only difference is that we fitted it with 39-inch tyres, hitch points and a protection plate on the underside of the car to help it navigate snow and ice. Everything else about the car is the same,’ said Julie.

Starting in the 1823 Magnetic North Pole the couple faced daunting challenges as they made their way across frozen terrains, navigating icy roads and unpredictable weather conditions. Their journey took them through some of the world’s most remote and harsh environments, including the vast expanses of the Arctic Ocean in Canada and the Patagonian deserts of South America.

‘Polar season dependant, it took us 10 months to complete our mission using regular charging points and the greatest power of all, the power or kindness from complete strangers along the way. We drove our Nissan Ariya in the most extreme conditions on earth, from -39 degrees extreme cold to +49 degrees extreme heat, on dirt tracks and on highways and it never once let us down. It passed every test conceivable,’ Julie explained.

Chris and Julie are the first to complete the Pole-to-Pole distance in a car - let alone an electric vehicle. They were duly awarded Guinness World Record Certificates for completing the ‘First expedition by an electric car from Magnetic North Pole to South Pole’ and for ‘The longest journey by an electric car in Antarctica’.

The pioneering couple are bringing the Nissan Ariya expedition EV to the NEVO Electric Vehicle Show at the RDS in Dublin this Friday, 7th November and Saturday, 8th November, where they will be available to meet members of the public. They will also visit Nissan dealerships in Dublin, Kildare, Galway, Sligo and Donegal on their 1,000-kilometre trip around Ireland.