From England to Mongolia in an electric vehicle – what ‘range anxiety’ ? (w/VIDEO)

'Range anxiety' is something which discourages many people from owning an electric vehicle (EV). It refers to the limited range that the EV can travel before recharging of the battery pack is needed to continue. Unlike running on petrol or diesel, to 'refuel' when running only on electricity requires a source of electricity – an electrical power point which is a recharging kiosk or even a normal 3-point outlet like what you have at home. Furthermore, while it doesn't take long to refuel, recharging takes a while although there are fast-chargers that can charge a battery pack to 80% within 30 minutes.

Currently, most EVs have a range of 150 to 250 kms on a fully charged battery pack and that's if you drive at a moderate speed. So the thought of going from Kuala Lumpur to Penang with an EV may not be appealing as you will have to plan your journey so that you are able to get to a R&R to recharge – and expect to spend a while there.

So imagine what it will be like driving from England to Mongolia – a distance of 16,000 kms. That's what EV advocate Plug In Adventures will be doing in the middle of this year. The organisation has created a specially modified Nissan LEAF that will be the first all-electric car to enter the Mongol Rally, a charity event which has been run annually since 2004.

Dubbed the LEAF AT-EV (All Terrain Electric Vehicle), the vehicle is based on a standard 30-kWh LEAF which has a range of up to 250 kms on a full charge. Some modifications have been made to better equip the car once it reaches the more remote parts of the journey. More robust wheels and narrower tyres have been fitted and welded plates added to the underside of the wishbones. The standard brake lines have been replaced by braided ones so they won't get punctured easily on rough terrain and 6-mm thick aluminium sump guard adds further protection underneath.

Mudflaps are also added, these not present in the standard car which needs the best aerodynamic efficiency possible. Mudflaps create some air resistance which would require extra energy to overcome.

The rules state that participants must drive a small, sub-1.0-litre engine car as it will make the event more of a challenge with a greater chance of a breakdown meaning drivers can interact with locals along the way. The drive is unsupported with no 'on the road back-up.' This means that the participants are expected to get themselves out of trouble.

A modified roof rack provides external storage and is fitted with a LED light bar to produce 16,400 lumens of supplementary low-voltage forward lighting during the remotest parts of the trip. That would certainly be vital as there will be areas with no street lights at all and perhaps not even a proper track.

As the Mongol Rally isn't a timed race, the entrants' vehicles ideally provide long distance comfort. The interior modifications to the LEAF AT-EV have been focused on reducing weight and providing more storage space. The driver and front passenger area is unmodified apart from the addition of rubber floor mats. However, the rear row of seats and rear seatbelts have been completely removed, which eliminates 32 kgs and helps to offset the extra weight of modifications mentioned earlier

"The Mongol Rally is our most challenging electric vehicle drive to date, but it's one we've been planning for a number of years. Not only will we face a dwindling number of EV chargers the further east we go, the terrain also becomes more difficult to navigate, "said Chris Ramsey, founder of Plug In Adventures.

"Using a Nissan LEAF for this was an obvious decision though. I'm very familiar with the car, it's always been reliable and dependable for me, and it has the largest network of rapid charging options in Europe. As it will also accept a 240V connection even in the remote areas when my fast-charge options are gone, I can still charge the battery and keep moving. This journey is about the travel experience though, not reaching the destination in a fast time. I can't wait to get out on the road and introduce more people to the advantages of electric vehicles, whatever country they're from!"

Ramsey plans to make regular stops along the way to promote the benefits of running an all-electric vehicle to residents of the countries he's passing through. He'll also be using the What3Words platform to log the locations of some of the uncharted charging network, so that future EV drivers traversing the region can benefit from accurate charging point locations.

[Chips Yap]

Source: From England to Mongolia in an electric vehicle – what 'range anxiety' ? (w/VIDEO)