Chris has known Robert since 2013 and first met him during his very first electric vehicle road trip in a 24kWh Nissan LEAF. The car at the time had a max range of approx. 80 miles. The plan was to drive from his hometown in Aberdeen, Scotland to all three UK capitals (Edinburgh, Cardiff and London) over a long weekend with two friends. The drive was made more challenging given that there were only about 60 chargers in the whole of the UK at this point and access to a raft of different charge cards was needed. Needless to say, after dangling cables out of hotel windows, plugging into a supermarket main entrance and calling call centres to trigger chargers, Chris successfully completed his first EV adventure - igniting his love for the technology and possibilities electric cars would offer. Chris shared his escapades on social media at the time and was completely shocked to receive messages of support from Robert who had been following the adventure and asked if he could meet up with Chris and his friends on the route.  From then on, Chris and Robert have stayed in touch. 

In 2017 when Chris and Julie completed the gruelling 10,000 mile Mongol Rally adventure from London to Southern Siberia in their 30kWh Nissan LEAF, Robert was an avid supporter of their progress, and at key times shared their social media posts. After successfully completing the Rally, Chris and Julie then displayed their Mongol Rally Vehicle at the very first Fully Charged Live event. Chris has since spoken on stage at subsequent Fully Charged Live events and has also guest appeared on Robert’s Fully Charged Show YouTube Channel. 

Robert Llewellyn said:  ““Chris and Julie have pushed driving electric cars beyond their allotted territory before, going into the wild and beyond in a car that was definitely first generation and built with fairly limited range. While 99% of people driving electric cars will never need to try and find a plug socket at a roadside diner in Kazakhstan, the fact that they managed these crazy journeys is vital evidence that the technology is more than up to the job. They have set themselves an insanely challenging and unprecedented journey in any four wheeled vehicle. But that is nowhere near enough of a challenge for these two intrepid volt heads."

Chris and Julie said, “We have huge respect for Robert and his team with their continued successes with the Fully Charged Show. We are huge admirers of Robert’s work both on and off stage, and inspired by how he champions electric vehicles and clean tech industries. We feel very honoured that Robert has agreed to offer his words of endorsement and join Pole to Pole EV Expedition as our official Ambassador. We cannot wait to keep him and everyone else updated as we travel not just through both Polar Regions but also North, Central and South America too on our 17,000 mile journey. For over a decade we have both been on our own personal journeys championing and accelerating electric vehicle adoption in our own unique ways. We are really excited to have Robert onboard and for him to have faith and confidence in what we do best.”

Renowned adventurer and entrepreneur, Mark Beaumont, has officially joined the Pole to Pole EV Expedition as one of our ambassadors. This exciting news comes after several years of collaboration between Chris and Mark, with Mark offering guidance and support to Chris as he undertook various electric vehicle adventures. As an accomplished cyclist who has circumnavigated the globe and set multiple world records, Mark has a wealth of experience and knowledge in planning and executing expeditions. We are honoured to have him on board and his support through sharing our expedition as we set out on this epic journey from a Magnetic North location to Antarctica in a bid to promote sustainable transport and raise awareness about climate change.

Chris is hugely inspired and captivated by adventure documentaries and the achievements of adventurers from all over the world, completing amazing feats of human endurance and pushing the limits of what is possible. Chris was an avid follower of Mark Beaumont’s incredible cycling adventures and achievements. One day back in 2015, Chris decided to reach out to Mark and ask if he would be kind enough to share his support on social media for an electric adventure Chris was looking to undertake. To his surprise, Mark personally replied and graciously agreed to share the plans with his fanbase. It was from this point that Mark took a shine to Chris’s unique way of adventuring and he very kindly offered to be a source of support and advice to Chris when needed.

Ever since that email back in 2015, Mark and Chris have been in contact and have met up on a number of occasions to discuss plans, projects and for Chris to seek guidance and learn from Mark’s wise words of advice based on his vast experience.

Chris said: “From the moment I first met Mark he has been such a kind and humble individual. Our conversations are always so insightful. He is a huge inspiration to people all over the world including myself and redefines the boundaries of what is possible in his field. I am always so grateful to Mark for answering that email that day and being the source support he has for me over the years.”

Outside of being one of the adventurer’s that Chris holds an immense admiration for, Mark also has a passion for entrepreneurship and is involved in a range of businesses, backing innovation and solutions that can help the environment, the planet and overall creating some of the sustainable solutions that can make a difference in the world. An ethos and mindset that we both share.

It is such an honour to have Mark join the Pole to Pole EV Expedition as one of our official ambassadors.