zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Some Crazy Bastards Are Taking A Nissan Leaf On A 10,000-Mile Rally
Some Crazy Bastards Are Taking A Nissan Leaf On A 10,000-Mile Rally-September 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:23

One thing you don’t think electric cars can typically do is rally. Long distances, probably very few charging stations along the way—it doesn’t really sound like a place where an electric car can flourish. And then there’s this .

Created by a company called , this is a modified Nissan Leaf that’s based on the standard 30 kWh version that had a 155-mile range on a single charge. Mods include Speedline SL2 Marmora wheels and Maxsport RB3 tires, welded plates beneath the wishbones, braided brake lines, mudflaps, an aluminum sump guard and a light bar up top.

Weight reduction was the focus for the interior of the car. The back seats and seatbelts were taken out, while a fire extinguisher and a medical kit were placed in the trunk.

The rally itself is the Mongol Rally, which stretches 10,000 miles from the UK to Mongolia, happening this summer. Each team participating in the rally is expected to raise a minimum of £1,000, or about $1,300, for charity. The Leaf will be the first all-electric car to attempt this rally.

Participants have to use small, sub-1.0-liter engined cars because then breakdowns are likelier: drivers have no choice but to interact with locals along the way, which is extremely encouraged. They are “expected to get themselves out of trouble,” asserts the press release brightly.

It’s not a timed race, so Chris Ramsey, founder of Plug In Adventures, said that it’s all about the experience.

“Not only will we face a dwindling number of EV chargers the farther east we go, the terrain also becomes more difficult to navigate. Using a Nissan LEAF for this was an obvious decision. I’m familiar with the car; it’s always been reliable and dependable for me, and it has the largest network of rapid charging options in Europe. As it will also accept a 240v Commando connection even in the remote areas when my fast-charge options are gone, I can still charge the battery and keep moving.”

The rally starts on Sunday, July 16.

I feel strangely protective of this little car. I hope it doesn’t get stranded somewhere.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Lewis Hamilton On Podium After Starting From Back Row Of F1 Belgian Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton On Podium After Starting From Back Row Of F1 Belgian Grand Prix
Both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso showed why they’re past Formula One world champions today. Hamilton charged forward to a podium third-place finish and Alonso hauled his McLaren up to seventh place—after starting in 21st and 22nd, respectively. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, or write it off as sheer luck...
Sep 13, 2026
Unbelievable Last-Lap Texas IndyCar Pass Ends In Track's Closest Finish Ever
Unbelievable Last-Lap Texas IndyCar Pass Ends In Track's Closest Finish Ever
0.008 seconds was all that separated IndyCar race winner Graham Rahal from James Hinchcliffe—the man who had led most of the at Texas Motor Speedway but got passed by Rahal on the very last lap. The race was full of close dicing back and forth, but it set a record...
Sep 13, 2026
Watch A NASCAR Race Car Become A Steam Train
Watch A NASCAR Race Car Become A Steam Train
Bubba Wallace’s No. 6 Ford Mustang stock car overheated during today’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America, and decided it wanted to become an old-timey steam train instead. Who needs a temperature gauge when a giant stack of steam can just rise out of the hood? Fortunately for the...
Sep 13, 2026
Scott Dixon Gives The Two-Bird Salute After Gnarly IndyCar Crash At Texas
Scott Dixon Gives The Two-Bird Salute After Gnarly IndyCar Crash At Texas
After the rear of Ed Carpenter’s car touched the front corner of Scott Dixon’s IndyCar at Texas Motor Speedway, Dixon spun out of control and into the wall. Dixon, of course, let Carpenter know he was just fine (but mad) in everyone’s favorite way: with two middle fingers up. Dixon...
Sep 13, 2026
Terrifying High-Speed Spin Sends F1's Magnussen Into Spa-Francorchamps Wall
Terrifying High-Speed Spin Sends F1's Magnussen Into Spa-Francorchamps Wall
Renault Formula One drver Kevin Magnussen lost the back end of his car at the top of the Raidillon hill at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, spinning at high speed into the wall at Turn 4. Magnussen’s left ankle was cut on impact, and he has been sent to a local hospital...
Sep 13, 2026
You Might Need That Wheel
You Might Need That Wheel
Sorry, guys. Isettas aren’t approved to run in WTSC. You’re going to need to keep all three wheels on your BMW. Unfortunately, I feel like someone pushed the “self-destruct” button on the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship’s BMW Team RLL this weekend. First, the No. 25 BMW M6 GTLM’s roof like...
Sep 13, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved