Adventurer Lexie Alford took a Ford Explorer EV on a record-setting journey around the globe. The goal was to mark the 100th anniversary of Aloha Wanderwell's trip around the world in a Ford Model T. Alford completed the 20,000-mile trip spanning 27 countries on six continents in about six months.
Electric vehicles are often mocked for not having enough range for longer road trips. However, countless testimonies of people praise EVs as being better for longer journeys, not least because they are more efficient and electricity is cheaper than gas. Car companies have also used long road trips to promote their electric vehicles.
Last year, Chris and Julie Ramsey took an all-electric Nissa Ariya on a trip from the North Pole to the South Pole. The electric crossover was all-stock except for the modifications needed to fit big 39-inch wheels. The journey lasted ten months and covered 30,000 kilometers (18,641 miles). Nevertheless, it was completed successfully despite the harsh conditions.
Even before the Ramseys reached the South Pole, another PR stunt was brewing, this time involving a Ford Explorer EV. Instead of going from one pole to another, Ford PR considered an around-the-world journey. The Explorer EV was driven by adventurer Lexie Alford (also known as Lexie Limitless), who, in 2019, was awarded a Guinness World Record for being the "Youngest person to travel to all sovereign countries" when she was 21.
Ford found a worthy goal for this journey, which was perfect for both the company and Alford. One hundred years ago, another adventurer, Aloha Wanderwell, became the first woman to drive around the world in a Ford Model T. Ford and Lexie marked the 100th anniversary of Wanderwell's adventure with a similar trip in the Ford Explorer EV. When she completed the journey, Lexie Alford became the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle.
Photo: Ford
The trips started in September 2023 in Nice (France), from the same place Aloha Wonderwell set off 100 years ago. The journey continued south into Italy and across Turkey before reaching Tbilisi in Georgia. The African leg began in Cape Town (South Africa) and proceeded north to Zimbabwe. The third continent of the trip was Australia, where Lexie Limitless traveled from Adelaide to Melbourne and then to Sydney.
The Asian part of the trip started in New Delhi, India, before continuing to Bhutan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Alford and her pre-production Ford Explorer EV moved from Asia to South America, in Santiago de Chile. From there, they went to Argentina before jumping to Los Angeles for the North American leg. The journey continued eastward toward New York, with a predictable step in Ford's hometown of Detroit.
Lexie returned to Europe for the final leg, which started in Norway and ended in Nice, completing the circle. In total, she drove through 27 countries, covering more than 30,000 kilometers, pretty much on par with the Pole-to-Pole Nissan Ariya expedition. The vehicle Lexie used for this challenge was a pre-production version of the Ford Explorer EV. It used various charging solutions throughout the journey, from 2.2 kW AC wall outlets to DC fast chargers and a portable battery pack.
The Explorer EV is Ford's first car based on Volkswagen's MEB architecture, making it a distant cousin to the ID.4. Designed for Europe's roads and customers, the Explorer EV battled power outages in Africa, lack of charging infrastructure in the Atacama desert of Chile, unpaved roads, freezing conditions, ultimately proving that nothing is off limits to electric vehicles.
Congrats to Lexie Alford for setting a new record – the first global circumnavigation by electric vehicle – in the new all-electric #FordExplorer! This was an epic test drive of 30,000km through 6 continents and 27 countries. All on electric power! So great to be with the @Ford… pic.twitter.com/dz0f4i9d3z
After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions. Full profile
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