Trio of Wranglers tackle transcontinental trek

German adventurer Matthias Jeschke is leading a team of intrepid explorers in three specially-equipped Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicons on a drive from Paris to New York. Since the North Atlantic is a bit deeper than even the Wrangler can ford, they are going the long way: east, spanning the Eurasian continent, making a midwinter crossing of the Bering Strait and traversing the North American continent from Alaska to the Big Apple. If Jeschke and his crew succeed, they will be the first expedition to drive the trans-continental route following the routes of early human migration to the northern Western Hemisphere.

The Paris-New York Transcontinental expedition, which kicked off in the City of Lights on October 1, will make the trip entirely by Jeep; there won’t be any support vehicles, boats or airlifts. The three Wranglers will be carrying all the gear needed, including pontoon-style rescue floats and special “swimming” tires in case the February ice over the Bering Strait is too thin. The goal is to arrive in New York City shortly after lunchtime on May 29, 2009. If all goes according to plan, the trio of Wranglers will rack up more than 41,000 kilometers (about 25,500 miles), more than enough to drive around the Earth’s equator.

What makes this trip even more noteworthy is the fact it’s being undertaken for more than a place in the record books. Jeschke is using the trek to promote to promote worldwide CO2-neutrality, using renewable fuel sources as well practicing energy efficiency.  The Jeeps will run on bio-ethanol produced from wood waste and the lubricants used will be bio-oils, which the team says are actually superior to conventional oils, especially in the frigid temperatures the group will encounter. The vehicles will be driven at lower, more fuel-efficient speeds. All this will keep the CO2 emissions low. In addition, the expedition will be planting trees along its route to offset its emissions and governmental authorities will verify that the plantings are adequate.

Special thanks to Mike’s Totally Free Jeep News Now