On February 20, Total Canada embarked upon an epic journey in the Northwest Territories, from Hay River to Fort Good Hope.

The objective is to test the performance of Total lubricants under extreme weather conditions and also to do something that’s very Canadian. The expedition consists of two Nissan Armada SUVs donated by co-event sponsor Nissan Canada and driven by Total Canada President Franck Bagouet and Alice Sambath, Marketing Project Manager, Total Canada.

Accompanying them is a film crew and a Basset Petroleum fuel truck. The Armada crankcases were filled with Total Quartz FGC 0W-20 engine oil for the journey, while the truck’s diesel engine received Total Rubia Optima 1100 FE 10W-30 oil.

During an interview with City TV’s Breakfast Television in Montreal on February 15, Franck Bagouet said that besides demonstrating the capabilities of Total lubricants, the Total Rubia Optima Northern Expedition dream is also a personal challenge of his to conquer the infamous ice roads in NWT, as well as take part in a completely unique experience—especially since Bagouet is originally from France and has lived in Canada for two and a half years.

With conditions that can be utterly treacherous and speeds limited to 40-60 km/h, such an expedition is not for the faint of heart. The trip is expected to take four to six days with the team driving up to 12 hours per day, covering almost 1000 km.

A return leg back to Hay River is also planned and will be determined based on weather conditions.

You can follow the team’s progress on the Total Canada Facebook page.