Woman Tries to Become First Person to Circumnavigate the Globe in EV
Adventurer and YouTuber Lexie Alford (“the youngest person to travel to all sovereign countries”) is trying to set a new record – the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle.
Since the feat will be attempted with a new electric Ford Explorer, the American automaker has taken a personal interest in Lexie’s journey, and as the company points out, the 25-year-old follows in the footsteps of Aloha Wanderwell, who became the first woman to drive around the globe in a car a century ago.
Back then, Wanderwell faced unique challenges, like making it across muddy passages and rivers and slipping through troubled areas (like China, then in the middle of a civil war).
Not to be outdone, Lexie will have to tackle her own requirements – the journey must be at least 28,968 kilometers (about 18,000 miles) and pass two antipodal points (places that are exactly opposite each other on the globe).
And the trek must end where it began – Le Hotel Royal in Nice.
“We are facing a fantastic but also a challenging adventure,” says Lexie Alford. “It will be hard for the Ford Explorer and - given the long period of time that I will be on the road alone - also for me and the accompanying team. Still, I can't wait to discover new places and meet special people. I want to see how they try to make their part of the world a better place.”
Naturally, one of the biggest challenges will be finding charging points along the way, and her team of security guards, paramedics, mechanics, and software specialists will help formulate a risk assessment and optimal route each day.
And while the end date is unknown (likely several months), Lexie began her trip on September 8th.
