‘Charge Around the Globe’ Journeys to Amazon Prime
With Africa, Australia, Asia, South America and North America complete, Lexie returns to Europe for the final leg, starting in Norway with Nice, France the final destination.
Lexie Alford (@LexieLimitless)
In September 2023 Lexie took on the challenge of becoming the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle..
Before the driving even starts though, Lexie visits ice swimming expert Anne Möller for a dip in the icy waters of Oslo. It’s the coldest water she has even been in and faces it with trepidation, yet she takes to it like a pro… and quickly realises what a great cure for jet lag it is.
Once warmed up, Lexie and the Explorer head south, leaving Norway and then making the significant drive down the Swedish coastline. This culminates with a trip across the incredible Øresund Bridge, an almost 8km passage between Sweden and Denmark and the second longest bridge in Europe. The crossing is actually completed by the 4km Drogden Tunnel, used instead of a bridge to avoid interfering with air traffic from nearby Copenhagen Airport.
In Denmark, there’s the first opportunity to try out the Explorer’s roof tent. With a crew in support, and not enough space in it for all of them and their equipment, wild camping is out of the question this time. Lexie is keen to give it a go for real sometime soon though, especially after seeing how simple it is to set up.
From there the border crossings keep on coming, first Germany, then the Netherlands and Belgium soon after. As the Explorer crosses into France, the anticipation heightens. Finally, after six long months the final country has been reached. It’s a time to reflect on the journey that’s been, but there’s still ground to cover though. All thoughts now turn to the finish line in Nice.
Since leaving Nice, France last September, Lexie and the new all-electric Ford Explorer have crossed six continents, driven through 27 countries and totalled more than 30,000 kilometres. The final passage through France is short, yet every hour on the road feels twice as long as the finish line is so close.
On March 26th, 2024, with spring in the air, the Explorer finally heads towards Nice once again. As they get closer, iconic Fords from the past are in place to join in convoy. At one point, Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO joins Lexie in the Explorer to talk about her amazing adventures, before she finally crosses the finish line flanked by some of Ford’s latest exciting models.
It’s an emotional moment, but Lexie has little time to dwell. She soon finds herself on stage accepting the certificate from RecordSetter that confirms her as the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle. The monumental moment is also witnessed by media from across Europe who are keen to get a moment with the record-setter amidst the blur of celebration.
It may take days until the full enormity of her endeavours truly sink in, but for now she can enjoy the fanfare and look forward to a day soon where she’s not living out of a suitcase. Or, possibly, look forward to an opportunity to plan her next adventure.
“On this epic adventure, I met incredible people from many corners of the world and experienced 27 beautiful countries while behind the wheel. But this journey came with a unique set of challenges. It has been the honor of a lifetime to be trusted by Ford to circumnavigate the globe in the electric Explorer, which has been like home for the last six months. I had the goal of pushing the limits of what’s possible to do in an EV and I’m proud to say I have!” Lexie Alford
