Yesterday, on the seventh day of our exciting journey, we drove from the picturesque village of Djupvik to the majestic North Cape, reaching the northernmost point of our epic road trip.
Our route took us along the E69, a road that offered stunning views of Norway’s breathtaking landscapes. One of the most significant parts of our journey was passing through the North Cape Tunnel, an underwater tunnel that dips below the Barents Sea, a testament to the marvels of modern engineering.
On arriving at North Cape, we were greeted with the sight of a dramatic cliff that rises 307 metres above the Arctic Ocean. The vastness of the water body stretching out before us was an awe-inspiring sight, made even more spectacular by us being on the tail end of the phenomenon that is the Midnight Sun, where the sun doesn’t set for days.
Our electric vehicle handled the demanding journey admirably, demonstrating exceptional performance even in the northernmost part of Europe. The smooth, quiet drive enhanced our experience, making the journey as enjoyable as the destination.
Car charge and usage data
Two charge stops on Day 7: firstly in Sørkjosen and secondly in Honningsvåg, the latter being the most northerly Tesla Supercharger in the world.
There were no dual carriageways. Long, winding roads were the order of the day, with speed limits of between 30 and 90 km/h posted along the way.
3.5 miles per kWh achieved, which is not too bad considering the conditions.
Story of the day
We woke up feeling feeling really hot from the warmth of the upstairs rooms in a house by the fjord and mountains. There were only two or three fixed temperature settings, set by a mobile app, so we could not cool the rooms down as much as would have helped. Coffee needed!
Just thirty minutes after we left, we came to our first charge stop. We took some quick pictures and videos before going to the café to get that coffee. We were sat outside so we had a stunning view out across the water in north west Norway while drinking. A shame we had to leave.
So we set off driving again. But not before unplugging the car and checking we had everything with us still. On the road, we came across a problem in the car. There was an annoying fly on the dashboard and it wouldn’t fly out of the window, no matter how much we guided it. It could have made a nice addition to the team but then we pulled over, opened all the windows and it eventually flew out. Then we continued the journey.
Second stop of the day: Alta. It is the northern most city with over 20,000 people in the world. We decided to have lunch here as it was 2:10 pm when we had arrived. Luckily, the team had been snacking in the car so we weren’t starved. In Alta, we got lunch in the northern most Subway in the world. We also decided to walk around the city for a little while and for a rare bit of retail therapy visited a shopping centre which included the north most H&M in the world as well.
After a short while though, it was time to go. We had to make it to Nordkapp before it was too late. So we set off driving again, along many winding country lanes up and down the mountains. There was a small bit of fog when we were driving so we had to put all the fog lights on. But the fog wasn’t that bad… yet.
We eventually got the the island of Nordkapp via the 6k+ tunnel. Once through the tunnel it looked similar to the entire route we had been driving on the day – long, winding narrow roads by the water – but somehow different: more remote, more desolate, more beautiful. We topped up the battery at the north most Tesla Supercharger station in the world. There were only three chargers.
Then we drove up more mountains, and this time there was a lot more fog. We could see nothing on either side of us except for the off-white coloured abyss. This is no exaggeration – at points it was our road and nothing else, around us. We couldn’t even see how high up we were, except when passing signs and summits. Despite this, we finally made it to Nordkapp itself. We walked over to the monument where a group of people took a picture of us and we then repaid the favour. Very soon after we walked back to the car as it was freezing cold and our hair was getting wet because of the mist and fog. There was a point where we almost got lost, but we managed to find our way.
This was the northernmost point our car reached on the trip. Over 71 degrees north. No charging issues at all – just one or two duff predictions – and a breathtaking journey over seven days. Still another fourteen to go, though.
Back off down the mountains to get to the hotel. The fog started clearing a bit so we could actually see the edge of the road.
Days 8 and 9 are well-earned rest days for the team. The blog continues on Day 10.
