A German adventurer tries to cross Canada at the wheel of a Volkswagen ID.4
Making a journey over long distances at the wheel of an electric car may seem, for some, unfeasible given the limited availability of charging stations. However, it is increasingly common to hear stories of motorists who have traveled thousands of kilometers in an electric vehicle. Although organization is key, seeing the country with an EV is less complicated than many thought. German adventurer, Rainer Zietlowdefinitely believes that it is feasible to travel behind the wheel of an EV since his goal is to cross Canada behind the wheel of an Volkswagen ID.4.
Break a Guinness Record
The man and his cameraman, Elric Popp, are on a mission to leave St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador to travel to Victoria, British Columbia. The journey of approximately 5,500 kilometers is daring, regardless of the automobile chosen. To add a layer of challenge to this adventure, Rainer Zietlow also plans to retrace his steps and return to St. John’s, which means that the trip should be approximately 11,000 kilometers long.
Moreover, as if that weren’t already enough, the man wants to criss-cross Canada with as few refills as possible. He therefore hopes to establish the Guinness record world for crossing Canada by electric vehicle with the fewest refills.
Important thing to know, Rainer Zietlow is not at his first rodeo in terms of world record. He has, to his credit, 3 records for long distance traveled aboard a racing car. The man crossed the Sahara desert to Nigeria driving a Mercedes 230 in 1988. He also surveyed the expanse between the Sahara and Cameroon in a Toyota Land Cruiser BJ 55 and circumnavigated the globe in 1996 driving a Land Rover Defender 110.
A long trip
Supported by Volkswagen Canada, the multiple world record holder will have access to the brand’s numerous concessions. Volkswagen hints the duo will stop at all 145 dealerships along the way. They will therefore be able to recharge their vehicle using the terminals available in the establishments.
Speaking of loading, the exact grind of the Volkswagen ID.4 selected to perform the challenge is not known. By analyzing the first kilometers traveled by the troop, it is probably the Pro S AWD version equipped with the largest battery available, that of 82 kilowatt hours which was chosen.
This version provides 410 kilometers of autonomy on the same charge. At the time of this writing, the adventurers had traveled 902 kilometers using 2 full charges, which, being careful with the throttle and optimizing the ride, would match the advertised range. The team would need to reload the vehicle approximately 27 times to complete the mission.
It is therefore long hours behind the wheel that await explorers. It is possible to follow the journey live on the website.
