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London – Electric vehicle advocate, Plug-In Adventures has created a modified Nissan Leaf that will be the first all-electric car to enter the 2017 Mongol Rally - 16 000km race from the UK to Mongolia.
Dubbed the Leaf AT-EV (All Terrain Electric Vehicle), the vehicle is based on a standard 30kWh Nissan LEAF Acenta, which offers a range of up to 250km on a single charge. Key modifications have been made to better equip the car once it reaches the more remote parts of the journey.
The AT-EV has been fitted with Speedline SL2 Marmora wheels and Maxsport RB3 narrow tires for better performance on unsealed roads. Welded plates to the underside of the wishbones, braided brake lines, mudflaps and a 6mm aluminum sump guard add further protection from rough terrain.
Rugged terrain
The modifications to the Leaf AT-EV were carried out by RML Group, a leading high performance automotive engineering company based in the UK.
A modified roof rack provides external storage and is fitted with a Lazer Triple-R 16 LED light bar to produce 16 400 lumens of supplementary low-voltage forward lighting during the remotest parts of the trip.
Plug-in adventures said: "The Mongol Rally is our most challenging electric vehicle drive to date, but it's one we've been planning for a number of years.
"Not only will we face a dwindling number of EV chargers the farther east we go, the terrain also becomes more difficult to navigate. Using a Nissan LEAF for this was an obvious decision.
"I'm familiar with the car; it's always been reliable and dependable for me, and it has the largest network of rapid charging options in Europe. As it will also accept a 240v Commando connection even in the remote areas when my fast-charge options are gone, I can still charge the battery and keep moving."
Ramsey plans to make regular stops along the way to promote the benefits of running an all-electric vehicle to residents of the countries he's passing through.
He'll also be using the What3Words platform to log the locations of some of the uncharted charging network, so that future EV drivers traversing the region can benefit from accurate charging point locations.
The Mongol Rally
The Mongol Rally is a 16 00km charity drive across the mountains, desert and steppe of Europe and Asia. It takes place each summer and first started in 2004.
The event is organized by The Adventurists, which run a number of events that have raised £5-million for charity to date. Each team in the Mongol Rally is expected to raise a minimum of £1000 for charity.
The rules state that participants must drive a small, sub-1.0-litre engine car as it will make the event more of a challenge with a greater chance of a breakdown meaning drivers can interact with locals along the way. The drive is unsupported with no on the road backup. Participants are expected to get themselves out of trouble.
For 2017, The Adventurists have supported Chris' decision to enter the rally with the Leaf AT-EV, so that it can become the first electric vehicle to attempt the journey and highlight the organization's commitment to sustainability and the environment.