Recent News

February 1, 2023 – Reykjavík, Iceland
Set amongst Arctic-like conditions, the Pole to Pole EV expedition team, Nissan and Arctic Trucks^® today unveiled an adventure-ready version of the new Ariya all-electric crossover SUV, which will undertake a 17,000-mile trip from the Magnetic North Pole to the South Pole; the first time in history that any wheeled vehicle has made this voyage.

During an epic ten-month adventure scheduled to begin on 23^rd March, this pioneering vehicle expedition will see British couple, Chris and Julie Ramsey, cross 14 countries, through Canada, North, Central and South America to Punta Arenas in Chile before travelling to the edge of the Antarctic continent, then onward to the South Pole.

Throughout this journey, the Ariya will need to cope with a plethora of breath-taking but extreme terrains and environments, from ice fields and deep snow, to steep mountain climbs and inhospitable desert dunes.

Conceived specifically for this challenge, the formidable Nissan Ariya AT39 e-4ORCE marks the first EV constructed by world-leading extreme vehicle specialists, Arctic Trucks^®.

Designed and developed in partnership with Nissan, the Ariya AT39 (Arctic Trucks^®, 39“ tyre) is a professionally re-engineered high mobility platform, balancing the performance and efficiency of Nissan‘s electric vehicle architecture with adaptations and enhancements to the body, bodywork, subframe, underbody, suspension, steering, wheels, tyres, braking system and more, to create a truly long-range expedition vehicle capable of circumnavigating the globe, over all terrains, with minimal environmental footprint. Key features include:

• Arctic Trucks^® re-engineering to frame, body, bodywork, underbody, steering and braking systems
• Widened Arctic Trucks^® fender flares, featuring recessed AT tyre pressure detail
• Rugged custom machined 17×10 Arctic Trucks^® dual valve alloy wheels
• 39” (39×13.50 R17) BFGoodrich^® All-Terrain T/A^® KO2 tires
• Suspension optimised and elevated by Arctic Trucks^®, incorporating repositioning and geometry adjustment to suspension mounting points and subframe (elevation: +110mm)
• Arctic Trucks^® strengthened, lightweight underbody armour
• Electronic headlight adjustment and speedometer recalibration
• Enlarged and strengthened mud guards
• Multiple Arctic Trucks^® strengthened 2” multifunction receiver hitches (front and rear), for mounting of towing, winching, gear carrying solutions, expedition accessories etc.

Modifications to the remainder of the vehicle have been intentionally minimal, with no changes to the battery or powertrain. When coupled with e-4ORCE, Nissan’s advanced electric all-wheel-control technology, and 39-inch All-Terrain T/A^® KO2 tires from official expedition tyre partner, BFGoodrich^®, these modifications will enable the expedition car to tackle both paved roads and extreme terrains whilst giving Chris and Julie the necessary comfort, control and mobility to safely and successfully reach the South Pole.

In addition to design, development and re-engineering of the Nissan Ariya AT39, Arctic Trucks^® are also providing key consultation, route planning and logistical support, with particular focus on the polar extremes of this unprecedented voyage.

Chris Ramsey, Pole to Pole EV Expedition Leader, commented: “One of the things that underpins all the adventures we do is that we take a standard production EV and aim to make minimal changes to clearly demonstrate its real, everyday capabilities, regardless of where you are driving it. Our Nissan Ariya is no different as the vehicle’s drivetrain and battery has remained factory standard, demonstrating just how capable and versatile the production Ariya is. I’m incredibly excited to get behind the wheel of what was already a brilliant vehicle, but now feels equipped to reach the ends of the earth in style!”

As a self-confessed coffee lover, Chris will also have access to a specially integrated espresso machine with a good supply of sustainable coffee. Whilst the on-demand caffeine will help him focus on the long and isolated parts of the route, Chris can also capture the beauty of these spectacular environments using a drone that can launch directly from the utility unit on the roof.

In addition, Iridium have provided integrated equipment and global terrestrial communications, combining 100% satellite coverage and low latency to enable essential mobile data and voice communications, unaffected by weather or landscape.

One further innovation is the portable, renewable energy unit that will be used to charge the Ariya in the polar regions. The towable prototype includes a packable, lightweight wind turbine and solar panels that will take advantage of high winds and long daylight hours to provide charge for the EV’s battery when Chris and Julie stop to rest.

Julie Ramsey, co-driver on Pole to Pole, commented: “The planning and preparation for Pole to Pole has been such a big part of our lives over the past four years so I am really looking forward to getting the expedition underway in March. We’re going to discover so many interesting initiatives from communities and individuals who are taking positive action against climate change and I’m looking forward to sharing these experiences and stories with everyone. We are doing something that has never been attempted before, a world-first, and ultimately that is what makes it so exciting.”

For more details on the Pole to Pole expedition, including the latest updates as the team prepares for their epic adventure, head over to www.poletopoleev.com.

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The team used specialized equipment and carefully planned each step until it successfully executed the lift of the vehicle on August 27, 2022. The operation started with the underwater recovery phase, where experienced cold-water divers had to carefully raise the truck off the ocean floor using airbags, then tow the vehicle, still under the surface, out of the strong current and near to the shore of the island. They then turned the vehicle upright with cables and airbags, then raised it to the surface before pulling it to shore. The vehicle was inspected on land and prepared for airlift by sling.

August 30, 2022
Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, Canada
The Transglobal Car Expedition by GoodGear.org has successfully completed the recovery operation of the Arctic Trucks AT44 F-150 vehicle lost through the ice near the Qikirtat (Tasmania) Islands, Nunavut, on 23 March 2022. The international recovery team of highly experienced personnel worked closely with the regional administrations and local communities, and had the benefit of four Inuit team members in the group of 12 people on the extraction crew.

Coldstream Helicopters’ heavy lift Airbus Super Puma helicopter delivered the Arctic Trucks AT44 F-150 to Gjoa Haven, where it will be made ready for the next available sealift vessel to Montreal. However, with corrosion of the electronics and aluminum components, it is not expected that the vehicle can be salvaged for use.

“This recovery operation was never about getting a truck back. It was about doing the right thing and respecting the land,” said Andrew Comrie-Picard, a Canadian team member. “It was very powerful to see the helicopter carry the truck over the horizon and hear the sudden silence and the water dripping off the ice floes. With one-third of our team being Inuit it was a privilege to have them with us to show us the tent circles and meat caches that went back hundreds of years, on an island that a passing boat would consider uninhabited. It is not. It is the land of their ancestors.” The recovery team left the site in pristine condition, with the determined intentions of preserving the fragile Arctic ecosystem.

The Transglobal Car Expedition by GoodGear.org expresses gratitude to all the participants involved in the operation, including local communities, regional and federal authorities for ensuring safety, managing the risks, and contributing to the successful recovery operation.

Emil Grimsson, Icelandic team member and principal of Arctic Trucks, added “My feeling of seeing the car coming back after five months of preparations and hard work on the extraction gave a sense of completion and is a testament to the ability of expert teamwork to achieve a very, very difficult task. With all our work in Iceland and Antarctica, we always seek to respect the environment, and I’m glad we were able to do that here.”

Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 Basecamp supports BFGoodrich at Red Bull Hardline
Expedition ready vehicle demonstrates the extreme nature and possibilities of new model
Basecamp features everything you need, including roof tent and the kitchen sink!
30th September 2022 – Isuzu UK’s show special D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35, codenamed Basecamp, was recently deployed as a support vehicle in association with BFGoodrich, at Red Bull Hardline, the world’s gnarliest downhill mountain bike race, which returned for the eighth time to Wales’ Dyfi Valley.

Thirty of the world’s best and bravest riders sought to survive Red Bull Hardline’s most challenging course to date. The event was won by Canadian rider, Jackson Goldstone, whose impressive win came over a series of huge jumps, boulder drops and a freeride section that was brand new for 2022. Goldstone finished six and a half seconds ahead of British rivals Joe Smith and Taylor Vernon, who placed second and third respectively.

The expedition-ready Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 Basecamp, which embodies the extreme adventure nature of the Red Bull Hardline event, is built to conquer all types of landscapes and finished in Obsidian Grey with a mainly black colour scheme. The vehicle features a lightweight and versatile iKamper SkyCamp Mini 3.0 rooftop tent which incorporates iKamper’s signature World Map and even a Skyview window. This is mounted to a black aluminium Gearmate hardtop canopy, with solid gullwing side and rear access doors. Inside the load bed, the vehicle is equipped with an ARB Outback Solutions modular roller drawer system, with a durable carpet finish. Along with providing luggage space, the system also incorporates a fridge and a slide-out kitchen unit, which includes a 3-burner gas stove and a 12-litre collapsible sink. The highly capable and rugged expedition vehicle is finished with distinctive 17-inch black Arctic Trucks alloy wheels, fitted with 35-inch BFGoodrich LT315/70 R17 Mud-Terrain tyres.

Available from £47,999 CVOTR, the Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 is a professionally re-engineered vehicle incorporating significant enhancements to the body, frame, drivetrain, suspension, and tyres. The new flagship model in the D-Max range retains its commercial vehicle status, with no compromise to payload or towing capacity and comes with Isuzu’s five-year/125,000-mile warranty.

For more information on Red Bull Hardline visit www.redbull.co.uk/hardline