On July 25, a Volkswagen ID.4 piloted by noted adventure driver, Rainer Zietlow, took off from St. John’s, Newfoundland on Canada’s east coast. After seven days of driving, and 4,432 miles (7,133 km), he reached the country’s west coast, after having recharged just 18 times, earning himself, and the automaker, a world record in the process.
Zietlow’s journey ended in the dark, in Victoria, British Columbia, on Canada’s west coast, at the 0 KM marker of the Trans-Canada Highway. On his drive, he averaged 246 miles (396 km) between charges, which helped him earn the Guinness World Record for crossing Canada in the fewest charges.
The record may be of particular importance in Canada, the second-largest country on earth by area. Studies suggest that EV consideration is waning in the country as prices for the vehicles rise, and its charging infrastructure lags behind America’s.
Read: Electric Toyota Land Cruiser Sets World Record For Longest Underwater Drive In Australia
“Volkswagen’s ID.4 SUV proved to be the ideal companion for their adventure,” the automaker wrote in a statement, “providing the comfort, space and range necessary to tackle the thousands of kilometers separating the country’s east and west coast.”
Zietlow, a native of Germany, has been driving with Volkswagen since 2005. In that time, he has seen 110 countries, earned at least five Guinness World Records, and driven across several continents in the brand’s vehicles.
In 2021, he earned a world record for driving 35,770 miles (57,566 km) continuously through all 48 continental American states in an electric vehicle. The trip took 97 days and, along the way, he visited more than 628 VW dealers.
Not sick of seeing the inside of an ID.4 yet, Zietlow now plans to drive from Victoria to St. John’s and will visit all 145 of VW’s dealerships in Canada along the way.
