A Nissan LEAF might not be the first car you think of for a long-distance rally, but Chris Ramsey’s Plug In Adventures has fielded the first ever electric rally car in the Mongol Rally, traversing 10,000 miles (16,000km), through Europe and Asia, in various desert and mountain terrains, starting in the UK.
The LEAF AT-EV has undergone extensive modifications, starting with the removal of anything extraneous. Plug In Adventures outlines the extent of the transformation, saying:
“The LEAF AT-EV has been fitted with Speedline SL2 Marmora wheels and Maxsport RB3 narrow tyres for better performance on unsealed roads. Welded plates to the underside of the wishbones, braided brake lines, mudflaps and a 6mm aluminum sump guard add further protection from rough terrain.”
A modified roof rack provides external storage and is fitted with a Lazer Triple-R 16 LED light bar to produce 16,400 lumens of supplementary low-voltage forward lighting during night stints.
In the back the seats and seatbelts are completely removed, providing 32kg of weight reduction. A fire extinguisher and medical kit have also been integrated into the boot space.
As this is uncharted territory for EV users, Ramsey will be marking out charging locations via the Waht3Words program, to further the cause of electric rallying.
