What Does EV Travel From London To The Arctic Circle Look Like?
Charge to the Circle, an eco adventure that took place from London to the Arctic Circle in the summer of 2018, had a goal for a team to drive to Nordkapp, Norway, on electric power only. Along the way, they shared perspectives with the local people about climate change action, ideas about eliminating plastics pollution from the world’s oceans, and the reality and possibilities of all-electric transportation to reduce air pollution.
Charge to the Circle was created to reflect the capabilities of electric vehicles (EVs) via innovative and engaging storytelling experiences. The organization believes that motorsport and adventure merge with EV technology in an exciting way, so its diverse team with distinct backgrounds started conversations wherever they traveled on the route to Nordkapp. Their discourse focused on the possibility of a sustainable future and how EVs intersect with pressing issues such as oil spills, ocean plastic pollution, and CO2 emissions.
Charge to the Circle promotes the uptake of electric vehicles and ocean conservation with 3 primary goals:
- Promote the uptake of electric vehicles and E-mobility to businesses and the general public in order to secure a sustainable future
- Raise awareness of the impact we, as humans, have on the planet through storytelling using sustainable travel and adventure
- Amplify our voices by bringing together a community of individuals, companies, and organizations working towards a sustainable future
CleanTechnica was able to get exclusive interviews with several members of the team to learn why the Charge to the Arctic excursion broke new ground and to hear about the personal messages of sustainability they shared along the way.
Charge to the Circle on the Road to the Northern Steppes of Norway
Referring to themselves as “brave EV superheroes,” the team kicked off the EV road trip by joining a harbor clean up in Bristol, England. Then they crossed the Channel at Le Shuttle and headed through France to Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and, ultimately, Norway.
Once on the Norwegian coast, the participants interacted with ocean awareness organizations and created documentary content until they reached the northernmost part of the country. Numerous conversations involved best practices to prevent plastics from entering the oceans and to rethink how we use plastics with respect to function and desired lifetime of products.
Beth Lily Georgiou and Dieter Vanswijgenhoven, the Charge to the Circle organizers, described for CleanTechnica the rationale for the Arctic destination.
“Norway is a real driving force with EV uptake, and exploring how the country has achieved this level of adoption by meeting EV owners and businesses is a very valuable learning process. It is vital that our team brings life and vibrancy to the electric vehicle and automotive industry as a whole. We know the future is electric, and we want to show Northern Europe — and the world — just how awesome that future will be.”
The Charge to the Circle Team
Manu Bustelo, a scuba diver, all-around adventurer, and member of Project Aware. He’s dipped his toes and more in nearly all the seas in the world. As a sustainability advocate, Bustelo sees daily how human behavior leads to change under the sea’s surface. Key concerns for Bustel are microplastics and CO2 emissions. He believes that nature no longer controls the weather.
Ahmed Scotland Khader and Ahmed GT Binkhanen, stunt and race drivers. They wanted to learn about the future of mobility and how to shape their racing in the future to better understand and move their business and racing to a more sustainable path. They also know a thing or two about driving.
Beth Lily Georgiou and Dieter Vanswijgenhoven, EV & motorsport specialists, Charge to the Circle organizers. They want to showcase to the world how EV can do the unexpected today, not tomorrow. They believe a change is needed now, and it is possible to live your life in the most sustainable way possible. They care deeply about the planet and believe change is just around the corner — but groundbreaking adventures and events that showcase sustainable living to the world are the key way to changing people’s minds.
Martin Orozco,a world renowned photographer. He joined the trip to document how and what happened as the Charge to the Circle team spread the world about sustainability. He has a love of portraits and telling stories through photography, with experience in advertising and commercial work. He had never even seen an EV before the Charge to the Circle adventure, but he returns to his home in Argentina with a new love and understanding of EVs. He already has made contact with some of the leading automotive figures in Argentina to focus on sustainable transportation and the future.
Charlie Fraser, EV and performance car expert. Charlie met the team in Norway, helped them to maximize the EVs’ performance, and provided vital insights about charging and driving EVs through the tricky parts of Europe where charging becomes rather marginal. Charlie comes from Glasgow, Scotland, which has some of the worst air pollution in western Europe and where the government spends billions annually on air pollution-related health care.