The North Pole lies at the top of our planet. The South Pole sits at the opposite end. Chris and Julie Ramsey want to do something no one has done before. They’re going to drive from one pole to the other. And they want you to join!
Pole to Pole will cover 17,000 miles (27,300 km). It will begin in the Arctic. The car will cross 14 countries across the Americas. The will end in Antarctica. The trip starts in March 2023 and lasts for 10 months.
The Ramseys will explore cultures. Chris Ramsey gave an example. “When we get to Ecuador,” he said, “we’re going to meet a rainforest tribe!”
News-O-Matic will cover Pole to Pole. There will be updates throughout the trip. But News-O-Matic won’t simply report on the expedition. We want students to engage with the explorers. You can send questions. Students can even design a flag for the car! (That contest launches later in 2022.)
The Ramseys aren’t taking this trek just for fun. They want to raise awareness of climate change. Most cars use gasoline. Burning gasoline creates carbon dioxide. That traps heat in the , making climate change worse. The Ramseys will drive a Nissan Ariya. That electric car doesn’t use gas.
“We want to show how good electric vehicles are,” said Chris Ramsey. The Ramseys won’t be able to plug it in everywhere. So, they’ll bring a wind turbine. That turns wind into electricity. The Ramseys will also bring solar panels. “That will enough energy to charge the car,” added Ramsey.
Right now, the Ramseys are preparing in Aberdeen, Scotland. Soon they’ll test their electric car in Iceland. They need to make sure it drives well in the ice and snow.
Chris Ramsey said he’s excited to “get out there.” And he wants readers to ride along. “Follow our journey,” he said. “Send us your questions. Tell us what you want to learn about,” Ramsey added. “We’d love to engage with you along the way.”
Updated September 27, 2022, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Russell Kahn (Russ)
