Photo: Chris and Julie Ramsey
The Mongol Rally is not exactly a rally. People don't join to win it, even though that must give the first team that reaches the destination some sense of pride regardless.
It is more an adventure, and one that's done for fun just as much as for charity. The rally starts in England at the Goodwood Circuit and used to end in the Mongolian capital city of Ulan Bator. Now, for administrative reasons, the teams have to pass through Mongolia and stop in a place called Ulan Ude, in Russia.
The competition, if we can call it that, has three rules: the first is that all vehicles enlisted need to have a 1,200 cc engine or smaller, which takes speed out of the equation instantly. The second one says that the teams aren't allowed support vehicles. They have to make do with whatever they can carry or find along the way. Finally, the third rule states that each team must raise at least £1,000 (~$1.350) for charity.
A couple from Scotland challenged the first of the three rules this year by registering with a Nissan LEAF electric vehicle. The organizers said it was OK, so Chris Ramsey and his wife, Julie, set off on this great adventure on board their little EV.
The Nissan was subjected to a few modifications, but none aimed at its powertrain. The electric motor was untouched, as was its 30 kWh battery pack. The range provided by the latter is underwhelming for day to day driving, so imagine what it's like for a 10,000-mile adventure through unknown territory.
Rally-spec wheels and tires, a roof rack, underbody protection and an LED light bar on top were the main changes brought to the EV. Chris was also very careful to bring as many adapters as possible to make sure they would be able to charge the car from any power source.
With a range of 90 to 100 miles, it's almost a miracle it only took the couple 55 days to reach the destination, marking a premiere in the rally's history in the process. As the side of the LEAF suggests, the Ramseys are big advocates of electric power and saw this as an opportunity to show people EVs are capable of more than just sporting a lecturing vanity plate. They also used the rally to raise funds for the World Wildlife Foundation Scotland and are now doing volunteering work in Mongolia before returning home.
If anything, their story can be used as a counter-argument when people say they don't want to buy an EV out of fear for range anxiety. The answer would be "Why, are you planning to go further than Mongolia?"
It is more an adventure, and one that's done for fun just as much as for charity. The rally starts in England at the Goodwood Circuit and used to end in the Mongolian capital city of Ulan Bator. Now, for administrative reasons, the teams have to pass through Mongolia and stop in a place called Ulan Ude, in Russia.
The competition, if we can call it that, has three rules: the first is that all vehicles enlisted need to have a 1,200 cc engine or smaller, which takes speed out of the equation instantly. The second one says that the teams aren't allowed support vehicles. They have to make do with whatever they can carry or find along the way. Finally, the third rule states that each team must raise at least £1,000 (~$1.350) for charity.
A couple from Scotland challenged the first of the three rules this year by registering with a Nissan LEAF electric vehicle. The organizers said it was OK, so Chris Ramsey and his wife, Julie, set off on this great adventure on board their little EV.
The Nissan was subjected to a few modifications, but none aimed at its powertrain. The electric motor was untouched, as was its 30 kWh battery pack. The range provided by the latter is underwhelming for day to day driving, so imagine what it's like for a 10,000-mile adventure through unknown territory.
Rally-spec wheels and tires, a roof rack, underbody protection and an LED light bar on top were the main changes brought to the EV. Chris was also very careful to bring as many adapters as possible to make sure they would be able to charge the car from any power source.
With a range of 90 to 100 miles, it's almost a miracle it only took the couple 55 days to reach the destination, marking a premiere in the rally's history in the process. As the side of the LEAF suggests, the Ramseys are big advocates of electric power and saw this as an opportunity to show people EVs are capable of more than just sporting a lecturing vanity plate. They also used the rally to raise funds for the World Wildlife Foundation Scotland and are now doing volunteering work in Mongolia before returning home.
If anything, their story can be used as a counter-argument when people say they don't want to buy an EV out of fear for range anxiety. The answer would be "Why, are you planning to go further than Mongolia?"
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