The world’s first trip from the North to the South Pole was accomplished by an electric vehicle.

Scottish explorers Chris and Julie Ramsey completed the nine-month, 17,000-mile “Pole To Pole EV” adventure earlier today, making history’s first journey from the 1823 Magnetic North Pole to South Pole—all while operating an electric car, no less.

In reality, the pair arrived at their destination on Friday, December 15, but they were unable to announce their good fortune until they were able to reestablish their satellite connection. This accomplishment was made possible by Arctic Trucks, an Icelandic specialty shop, who customized a Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE electric car with wider 39-inch tires and matching wheel arches, as well as some ice-friendly equipment and body reinforcing work. According to Electrek, the suspension and engine were almost stock except for a height increase.

The electric vehicle’s range was lowered from the initial 272 miles to just 150 to 200 miles as a result of the additional weight it was carrying. The Ramseys learned how to maintain the car battery warm for maximum efficiency during their travels in the Arctic and Antarctic. Most famously, when the wind wasn’t too strong, they would erect a special tent to cover the entire car or build up a wall of snow to protect the car’s front radiator and underneath from the elements.

To recharge their Ariya, the pair would either utilize a prototype solar hybrid charging device or a 5kW wind turbine, depending on the weather. In the event that that failed, they occasionally had to rely on their gasoline generator, which is a necessary piece of equipment for traveling in the Arctic. Similarly, their diesel support vehicles do not have an electric counterpart. According to Chris, the goal of “Pole To Pole EV” is to demonstrate to Expedition Portal that electric cars can effectively replace the current fleet of diesel-powered expedition vehicles in the polar regions.

The Ramseys crossed the Americas between the poles, with the northern portion being comparatively simple because chargers were easily found along the route. While things were different in the south, “Pole To Pole EV” worked with Enel X Way, a provider of EV charging solutions, to build chargers along their route across Central and South America, particularly during the expedition’s Peru phase. Even better, Enel X Way has committed to maintaining public access to these additional chargers in the future, expanding its electric Pan-American charging route.

Chris and Julie Ramsey had already made news for their electric car. The Scottish couple’s customized Nissan Leaf Acenta was the first electric vehicle to start and finish the Mongol Rally back in 2017. Between the UK and Turkey, charging was comparatively simple, but after that, they had to rely on home plug outlets and would have a lot of unique experiences with the locals. With the modified Leaf’s 90-mile range, the two faced a significant task as they traveled 10,000 miles in 56 days. In case anybody else is eager for the EV challenge, Chris continued, “But we are pleased that a huge charging network has sprung up across the route since we completed the rally in 2017.”

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