A Nissan Alya with 39-inch tires has traveled from the North Pole to the South Pole.
To prove the capabilities of EVs, a modified Nissan Alya electric crossover will travel from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole.
The 16,777-mile, 10-month journey will begin in March, Nissan announced Wednesday. The Ariya has been modified with 39-inch BF Goodrich tires, enlarged wheel arches (to clear the new tires), and suspension changes, but the powertrain and battery pack will remain unmodified.
Running Aaliyah from pole to pole will be the husband-and-wife team of Chris and Julie Ramsey, who previously completed the 10,563-mile Mongolia Rally in a Nissan LEAF. With the exception of larger tires, modifications to the Alya were kept to a minimum in order to showcase the basic capabilities of the vehicle.
"One of the things that underlies every adventure we undertake is that we aim to use a standard production EV, make minimal changes, and clearly demonstrate its true everyday capabilities, regardless of where you drive it," Chris Ramsey said in a statement.
One change unrelated to capability is a built-in espresso machine for coffee-loving Chris. Aliya's roof box also has a drone launch pad, and the crossover tows a trailer with portable solar panels and a wind turbine to provide energy to recharge Aliya when it is stopped.
The Ariya used for the expedition is equipped with an e-4ORCE all-wheel drive system incorporating dual motors and torque vectoring. Peak output in the U.S. is 389 hp, compared to 214 hp for the single-motor, front-wheel-drive Ariya. Nissan began selling the front-wheel-drive Ariya in the U.S. last fall, but the all-wheel-drive model will not be available until later this year.