Ford Explorer becomes first electric car to drive around the world
Young adventurer Lexie Alford took six months to complete the all-electric journey
27 March 2024 - 09:29
byMotor News Reporter
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Lexie Alford took six months to cross six continents in an electric car. Picture: SUPPLIED
Adventurer Lexie Alford has set a record for being the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle (EV), using the new Ford Explorer.
Crossing the finish line in Nice, France, on March 26, Alford led a convoy of iconic Ford vehicles flanked by current models. The end of her trip, attended by Ford CEO Jim Farley, coincided with the sales launch of the electric Explorer in Europe.
The six-month journey crossed six continents, 27 countries and covered more than 30,000km, all on electric power. Battling power outages in Africa, a lack of charging infrastructure in the Atacama Desert of Chile, unmade roads, mountain passes and freezing conditions, the achievement proved what was possible in an EV, said Martin Sander, GM of Ford Model e Europe.
“Lexie’s journey has been the ultimate test drive for our new Ford Explorer, taking on every kind of weather and road condition, and dealing with just about every charging scenario,” said Sander.
The vehicle Alford used for the challenge was a pre-production version of the Ford Explorer that is now available to order. Over the course of the journey, it used a variety of charging solutions, from 2.2kw AC wall outlets to DC fast chargers and a portable battery pack.
“On this epic adventure, I met incredible people from many corners of the world and experienced 27 beautiful countries while behind the wheel. But this journey came with a unique set of challenges,” said Alford, who at 21 also holds the world record for being the youngest person to visit every country in the world.
Built in Cologne, Germany, the new electric Explorer is Ford’s first passenger EV to be developed and built in Europe and has up to 602km driving range on a single charge.
The SUV is available with a choice of single-motor rear-wheel drive or dual motor all-wheel drive power trains. Both use an extended-range, lithium-ion nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery. Charging from 10%-80% takes about 26 minutes on a 185kW DC fast charger for the AWD model.
Boasting 250kW of power, the AWD model has a claimed 0km-100km/h sprint of 5.3 seconds.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Ford Explorer becomes first electric car to drive around the world
Young adventurer Lexie Alford took six months to complete the all-electric journey
Adventurer Lexie Alford has set a record for being the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle (EV), using the new Ford Explorer.
Crossing the finish line in Nice, France, on March 26, Alford led a convoy of iconic Ford vehicles flanked by current models. The end of her trip, attended by Ford CEO Jim Farley, coincided with the sales launch of the electric Explorer in Europe.
The six-month journey crossed six continents, 27 countries and covered more than 30,000km, all on electric power. Battling power outages in Africa, a lack of charging infrastructure in the Atacama Desert of Chile, unmade roads, mountain passes and freezing conditions, the achievement proved what was possible in an EV, said Martin Sander, GM of Ford Model e Europe.
“Lexie’s journey has been the ultimate test drive for our new Ford Explorer, taking on every kind of weather and road condition, and dealing with just about every charging scenario,” said Sander.
The vehicle Alford used for the challenge was a pre-production version of the Ford Explorer that is now available to order. Over the course of the journey, it used a variety of charging solutions, from 2.2kw AC wall outlets to DC fast chargers and a portable battery pack.
“On this epic adventure, I met incredible people from many corners of the world and experienced 27 beautiful countries while behind the wheel. But this journey came with a unique set of challenges,” said Alford, who at 21 also holds the world record for being the youngest person to visit every country in the world.
Built in Cologne, Germany, the new electric Explorer is Ford’s first passenger EV to be developed and built in Europe and has up to 602km driving range on a single charge.
The SUV is available with a choice of single-motor rear-wheel drive or dual motor all-wheel drive power trains. Both use an extended-range, lithium-ion nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery. Charging from 10%-80% takes about 26 minutes on a 185kW DC fast charger for the AWD model.
Boasting 250kW of power, the AWD model has a claimed 0km-100km/h sprint of 5.3 seconds.
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