Scots couple complete grueling Mongol Rally in electric carScots couple complete grueling Mongol Rally in electric car

The Mongol Rally is no small undertaking for any driver, in any type of vehicle.
The 10,000-mile rally takes drivers from Europe to Siberia, via Mongolia, with no support vehicles or backup cars.
On July 16, 2017, a Scottish couple arrived at the starting line at the Goodwood race course in England with a peculiar choice of car for the trek: a Nissan Leaf electric car.
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Chris Ramsey and his wife Julie officially completed the grueling rally on September 10, 2017. The couple became the first team ever to finish the rally in an electric car.
The little Leaf that could ended up covering 10,000 miles over 55 days in mountain terrain, deserts, and grassland; the Ramseys said the Leaf handled it all just fine, according to Scotsman.
To be fair, the Leaf wasn’t exactly the average electric car as found in Nissan dealership lots.
 Nissan Leaf Mongol RallyNissan Leaf Mongol RallyNissan Leaf Mongol Rally
The couple’s Leaf was outfitted with rally tires, underbody protection, an LED light bar, and a roof rack, which were detailed at the start of the rally by The Sun.
The battery’s 30-kilowatt-hour capacity was unchanged, which meant the Scottish couple had to stop every 90 to 100 miles to charge the electric car.
Knowing this, Ramsey brought multiple different adapters to ensure he could find the right plug to charge his car no matter where he was, even if it was a standard household-current outlet.
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Ramsey also realized the Leaf would not be the right choice to have a shot at arriving first, but that wasn’t the point of the adventure.
Even though the couple was forced to stop more often than their gasoline-powered competitors, the couple said it was a rare chance to stop and take in various scenery and cultures.
Chris Ramsey founded Plug In Adventures in 2011 and has taken on other events in electric cars since then.
2016 Nissan Leaf
Completing the Mongol Rally was meant to accomplish two things, according to Ramsey: show that electric cars are capable, and to raise funds for the World Wildlife Foundation Scotland.
Now, the couple plans to undertake volunteer work in Mongolia before heading back to Scotland in their precedent-setting Leaf.
Ramsey hopes the electric car sets an example in his home country that electric cars represent the future of transportation.
[hat tips: Rick Feibusch, Hugh Richardson]
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