The advent of the 24th Winter Olympic Games has ignited a national ice and snow sports boom. Not afraid of wind and snow, dare to challenge, not only the embodiment of the spirit of the Winter Olympics, but also the self-confidence of Aichi Automobile in its own strength. Different arenas, the same struggle, not long ago, the Aichi U5 in Europe and 19 other electric vehicles rushed to the Arctic, completed a snow and ice contract from Germany to the North Cape of Norway.
As one of the toughest driving challenges in Europe, the Electric Vehicle Polar Challenge (eNordkappChallenge) is built for the strong. The challenge is not a speed race, but a test of endurance and resilience, so the course of the challenge is also set to push electric vehicles to the limit. Competitors drive an electric car from Flensburg, Germany, all the way north to the North Cape of Norway, located in the Arctic Circle, and return to Germany via Sweden, a total of 7,000 kilometers, facing blizzards, polar nights, ice driving and extreme cold as low as minus 20 degrees along the way.
Left: Dennis Schulmeyer Right: Manuel Zagovec
The AIWAYS U5 is driven by Dennis Schulmeyer, managing director of electric vehicle charging technology company Lade, and his friend Manuel Zagovec, who have extensive experience with electric vehicles and local charging facilities in Norway. Dennis Schulmeyer said after the race: "The Aichi U5 is the most suitable vehicle for this challenge. The vehicle is very comfortable to drive and can handle long journeys of hours perfectly. While electric cars perform differently in extremely cold temperatures, the Aichi U5's exceptional performance is a strong support for us to complete this challenge. Another absolute advantage is the speed at which the air conditioner heats up – which is crucial on minus 20 degree nights! The AIWAYS U5 makes electric vehicles both reliable and convenient, which is a good reference for the construction of our charging facilities. ”
Mikael Nilsen, Aftermarket Director of Aichi Automotive Europe, added: "We are delighted to support Dennis in this Arctic Challenge and to learn about the performance of the Aichi U5 under extreme challenges. It turned out that the Aichi U5 was pushed to the limit, but it wasn't beaten, there were no problems, it just needed to be thoroughly cleaned when it came home! ”
As we all know, Norway is a country with a high proportion of new energy vehicles, and has perfect electric vehicle charging facilities to provide a convenient charging experience for this challenge. However, Norway is also one of the countries with the highest dimension and the coldest climate in the world, charging in extremely cold conditions is also facing many challenges, Aichi U5 with excellent quality to conquer the harsh road conditions, withstood the test of charging, once again proved the infinite possibilities of electric vehicles, and with the characteristics of zero emissions, the green way of travel to the northernmost part of Europe.
During the 13-day Polar Challenge, the Aichi U5 lived up to expectations and completed an epic journey through the extreme cold. Since landing in Europe, the AICHI U5 has participated in a number of long-distance driving events in Europe - successfully completed the ED1000 and E-Cannonball endurance races, and won the 2021 Riviera Electric Challenge. The reason why AIWAYS U5 dares to participate in various strict extreme challenges is not only the confidence in its own strength and quality, but also lays a solid foundation for its entry into the global market. According to statistics, since the first batch of exports to France in May 2020, AIWAYS has successfully landed in 11 countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, etc., with a cumulative export of 2783 units, its expansion scope is wide and fast, and it will soon land in several new markets in Europe, let us wait and see!