Son to drive his late father's 1955 Series 1 Land Rover 'Evie' around the world - and it's fully electric!
LifeSaver is thrilled to be one of the sponsors of climate resilience specialist Dr Ed Barsley's attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the globe in an electric classic car. The vehicle belonged to his father, John, and has been in the family for 35 years. Ed and his dad were restoring 'Evie' when John died in 2024. Ed is completing the restoration and undertaking the journey in his father's memory. As a fully electric vehicle, it reflects Ed's two decades of work in climate adaptation and low-carbon adventuring.
The route: a global expedition across six continents and 20 countries
While the conversion changes how Evie is powered, it does not diminish the risks of a global expedition. The vehicle must withstand sustained long-distance driving, remote roads, extremes of heat and cold, dust and mountainous terrain - a challenge for any vehicle, not just an old one. The team must also negotiate differing EV charging standards, variable electricity supplies (often in remote places), ports, customs, visas, border crossings and shipping schedules. A serious mechanical or electrical failure, a closed border, or a missed sailing could compromise the route, or bring the attempt to an end.
The planned route runs from England through France and Spain to Morocco; on to Brazil, Argentina and Chile; across the United States; through New Zealand and Australia; then Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India; and home through Turkey, Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. Sea freight will connect the sections of the route that cannot be driven: Morocco to Brazil, Chile to the United States, the United States to New Zealand, New Zealand to Australia, Australia to Singapore, Thailand to India, and India to Turkey.
World record attempt: first circumnavigation around the globe in an electric classic car
The route is designed to meet recognised circumnavigation benchmarks: at least 18,000 miles driven under Evie’s own electric power, one continuous general direction, crossings of the Equator and every meridian of longitude, a pair of points on opposite sides of the Earth, and a return to London.
Sea transport will connect continents but will not count towards the driven mileage. GPS, charging, mileage, shipping and filmed evidence will document the attempt, with the world-first claim subject to completion and verification.
As Barsley undertakes the Electric Overland expedition, he will document how communities, infrastructure, and landscapes are adapting to the impacts of climate change, while examining how long-distance travel of this kind can reduce its own environmental impact.
Essential Water
LifeSaver's part in this epic expedition is of course, the provision of safe drinking water for Ed and whoever is with him - no matter where in the world he may be. We'll be meeting Ed and Evie in the coming months to show him exactly how to use and care for his LifeSaver Graphene:Ultra Jerrycan and Liberty water purifiers. We've provided plenty of spares too, and we can deliver almost anywhere in the world, so if a problem arises, we'll be able to help.
Departing from the Royal Automobile Club on Pall Mall, London, on 22nd March 2027, the trip is expected to take 14-15 months and will be filmed for a four-part documentary to be featured on the DRIVEN platform. Updates, live tracking, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the build and the journey will be published at www.theelectricoverland.com and via @theelectricoverland on Instagram.
