We’ve come a long way in terms of the technology we use to power our travels, and nothing proves that more fully than the upcoming journey of adventure travel content creator Lexie Alford, who goes by the handle @LexieLimitless online. Alford is the youngest person to visit every country in the world, and as of Friday, September 8th, 2023, she’ll be undertaking an exceptional task– traveling around the world in an electric Ford Explorer.
Alford will visit six different continents and more than 30 countries on this “Charge Around the Globe” trip, leaving from Nice, France. She will become the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle, mimicking the journey of another famous adventurer, Aloha Wanderwell, who became the first female to drive around the world a hundred years ago. Wanderwell traveled in a gas-powered ford at the time, and now Alford will be following in her footsteps in her electric one, even starting her journey in the same place: Le Hotel Royal in Nice.
Alford’s electric Ford Explorer is a pre-production prototype model, made to be as close as possible to the vehicle that customers will be able to experience when it goes on sale in Europe next summer. It isn’t equipped with any special modifications that wouldn’t be available on the mass-market Explorer, but it has everything she’ll need for the daring trip ahead.
“This is an epic journey to prove what’s possible in an electric vehicle, as we know range and charging are the two main concerns people have when thinking about making the switch to electric,” said Martin Sander, general manager, Ford Model e Europe. “Lexie will be putting charging infrastructure to the ultimate test; if she can get around the world in an EV, then anyone can use one in Europe, every day.”
Alford will be dealing with severe weather, unpredictable terrain and the current state of worldwide charging infrastructure as she travels. She’ll be backed by a crew that includes security, medics, and mechanical and software support to help keep her safe, with dynamic risk assessments at the beginning of each day.
“This is an epic adventure, but a tough one. It will be tough on the Explorer and with the amount of time on the road alone it will be tough on me and the support crew,” she said. “Any adventure worth having should challenge you though, and I can’t wait to explore the new places and meet incredible people to find out how they’re trying to make their corners of the world better.”
If you’re interested in following Lexie Alford’s trip, you can search #ChargeAroundTheGLobe or @fordnewseurope on social media. If you’re interested in keeping up on other Ford news, make sure you continue reading our blog at Haldeman Ford!