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10.12.2024 - 21:45 / matadornetwork.com
In 1922, at just 16 years old, Aloha Wanderwell – Idris Galcia Hal by birth – set out to become the first woman to circumnavigate the world in an automobile, a Ford Model T. The five-year expedition crossed 80 countries and more than 500,000 miles. The films created along the way tell the story of her journey – or at least, a part of what was certainly a life lived without limits.
A century later, Wanderwell’s expedition has inspired another epic journey – one Limitless both in name and nature. Lexie Alford, known online as “Lexie Limitless,” drew from the famous explorer’s playbook to launch a circumnavigational trip of her own. She departed on September 6, 2023, in an attempt to be the first person to drive around the world in an electric vehicle.
“Her determination and courage in the face of hardship paved the way for overland travel,” Alford told Matador via email. “Inspired by her story, I set out to break a new world record as the first to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle… I’m proud to say I accomplished just that.”
Charging in Serbia. Photo courtesy Lexie Alford
Alford documented the experience via a three-part YouTube series dubbed “Charge Around The Globe.” The series, free to watch and sponsored by Ford, doesn’t just follow her around the planet. It literally is her filming the ups, downs, and arounds driving around the globe in an all-electric Ford Explorer.
It wasn’t Alford’s first record-breaking jaunt. Prior to 21 years old she became the youngest person to visit all 196 countries around the world, a process documented through extensive photography and on her blog.
Photo courtesy Lexie Limitless
“This journey was about pushing the limits of EV travel, embracing the same challenges of forging a new path, and finding out what’s possible,” Alford says. “Along the way, I remembered Aloha’s memoir and films, simply in awe of how much the world has changed in the past century yet how deeply I related to her perspective as a female traveler. Her pioneering, adventurous spirit guided me throughout the journey, reminding me of the importance of breaking barriers and inspiring others to push their limits.”
Alford set out from Nice, France, the same location as Wanderwell departed from, to attempt to drive the planet in 90 days. En route she – including super-slow chargers that couldn’t complete a charge to 80 percent or more even in a few hours.
Some guidelines imposed by Record Setter to validate her journey:
Hurdles faced en route included, of course, varied charging infrastructure even in more developed countries, and how long it often took to charge. She had a visa issue getting the car across the Turkish border from Greece and had to ship the vehicle on two separate ferries rather than
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