Day 1

Day one of the 2022 Arctic Road Rally featured a fun-filled kickoff event hosted by Golden Valley Electric Association in Fairbanks, then a 259-mile drive up the Dalton Highway to Coldfoot. 

A temporary charging station installed at the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ Seven Mile Camp gave drivers a mid-trip boost, and data collected along the road offered valuable insights into electric vehicles’ performance on rough roads.

The results are already promising. While drivers predicted the Ford F-150 Lightning would arrive at Seven Mile Camp with an estimated 20 percent battery energy remaining, the truck pulled into camp with 37 percent battery energy remaining. Other vehicles reported similar positive results.

Next up: The rugged, 239-mile drive to Deadhorse through scenic Atigun Pass.

Photos by Kirsten Swann / Launch Alaska.