The Mongol Rally is a 16,000 km charity drive across rough terrain from Europe to Asia.

Scotland-based Plug In Adventures has created a specially modified Nissan Leaf that will be the first all-electric car to enter the Mongol Rally, driving 16,000 km from the UK to Mongolia in the summer of 2017.

Dubbed the Leaf AT-EV (All Terrain Electric Vehicle), the vehicle is based on a standard 30 kWh Nissan Leaf. It has been fitted with narrow tires for better performance on unsealed roads, and plates have been welded to the underside for protection from rough terrain. In addition, the rear row of seats and rear seat belts have been completely removed, contributing to a 32 kg weight loss.

“The Mongol Rally is our most challenging electric vehicle drive to date, but it’s one we’ve been planning for a number of years,” said Chris Ramsey, founder of Plug In Adventures. “[The Leaf] will accept a 240v Commando connection even in the remote areas. When my fast-charge options are gone, I can still charge the battery and keep moving.”

Ramsey plans to make regular stops along the way to promote the benefits of running an all-electric vehicle to residents of the countries he’s passing through. He’ll also be logging the locations of some of the uncharted charging networks, so that future EV drivers traversing the region can benefit from accurate charging point locations.