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French automaker Citroën wants to prove that electric vehicles can go on the same adventurous journeys as petrol-powered ones.
That is why it has announced a challenge, 100-years after the first expeditions of Africa – to cross the Sahara using only the brand’s electric vehicles.
The challenge will take place from December 19, 2022, to January 7, 2023.
Why now?
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The planned dates are significant because that would mark the 100th anniversary of Citroen’s first expedition of the continent. The idea is not to set a speed record but to faithfully follow the same route – going from Touggourt in Algeria to Timbuktu in Mali over three weeks.
The crossing was announced at the opening of the Retromobile vintage car show in Paris, where Citroen showed off the two half-tracks that originally made the crossing in 1922.
The idea is to do the same crossing in replicas, but this time with all-electric concept and electric production vehicles to provide assistance.
Can electric cars do that?
Some electric cars have an impressive range (Tesla’s long-range roadster boasts almost 1,000 kilometres on a single charge) but nothing compared to the 3,170 kilometres of a Sahara crossing.
Add in the fact that the Sahara isn’t exactly flat, and that tough off-road terrain will require more power than driving on a flat road, and there’s currently no production vehicle in existence that can make it in one go.
That means that Citroën will need cars that can recharge as they go – so expect some interesting models to make the crossing.
