Electrifying The Last Freeway
ELF – August 12, 2022
Take part in shaping the future of transportation. Join us under Alaska’s midnight sun to demonstrate vehicle electrification in a remote, rugged, low-infrastructure environment.
Witness world’s newest electric vehicles while traveling alongside Arctic tundra, caribou herds, and wild musk oxen. Alaska Electric Vehicle Association, will electrify a 500-mile temporary charging corridor along one of Alaska’s most iconic, yet least-traveled roads to the northernmost drivable point in the United States.
Adventurous drivers will have the unique opportunity to travel the Dalton Highway to the Arctic Ocean for the first time ever in an electric vehicle. Learn how you can drive the route in your Electric Vehicle
Starting Line – Fairbanks
CHARGING, LODGING, FOOD, RESTROOMS, AIRPORT
Alaska’s Golden Heart City and the starting point for the journey North to the Future
Charging Station #2 – Yukon River
CHARGING, LODGING, FOOD, RESTROOMS, TELEPHONE
Crossing the historic river that connects Canada to the Bering Sea
Charging Station #3 – Coldfoot
CHARGING, LODGING, FOOD, RESTROOMS, TELEPHONE
Originally a gold rush town and the midpoint in the northbound journey
Charging Station #4 – Brooks Range Gateway
CHARGING STATION ONLY
Transition point between the mountains of the Brooks Range and tundra of the North Slope
Charging Station #5 – Deadhorse
CHARGING, LODGING, FOOD, RESTROOMS, TELEPHONE, AIRPORT
Last charging point before the ocean and the entrance to the oil field
Finish Line – Oliktok Point
Finish line event at the northernmost drivable point in the U.S., next to the Arctic Ocean. Charging, lodging and food provided.
Purpose of ELF
Electrification Challenges And Solutions
The route from Fairbanks to Oliktok Point is in many ways synonymous with the challenges that have to be overcome across many Alaskan communities to achieve electrification of transportation. Many Alaskan communities rely on isolated micro grids and diesel generation for electricity. Alaska’s needs go beyond that of funding for charging equipment. Substantial investment needs to be made to fund electric utility line extensions, substation upgrades and battery storage. The journey to Oliktok point highlights not only the challenges but also the solution that can be implemented to capture the benefits electric vehicles offer.
Located on the North Slope of Alaska on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, Oliktok Point is extremely isolated, yet still accessible by road being the northernmost drivable point in North America
Updates
Donated Nissan CHAdeMO Fast Chargers
We received a donation of 10 Nissan fast chargers. Chargers were palletized and shipped to Alaska.
Testing And Rigging The Chargers
With the help of AJEATT wiremen program chargers were tested and configured with skids and quick disconnects for deployment.
Talkeetna Gets It’s First Fast Charger
First ELF charger was installed in Talkeetna to allow for EV travel from Anchorage to Fairbanks (starting point of the ELF corridor)