Audi announces Pole2Pole expedition

The North Pole and the South Pole are separated by over 12,000 miles, and Swedish explorer Johan Ernst Nilson wants to traverse that distance within 12 months. To do so, he wants to go carbon-neutral, and Audi has partnered up with Nilson to help make sure he accomplishes his goal.

Called the Pole2Pole Expedition, Nilson plans to go from the North Pole to the South Pole in six stages. Nilson's means of transportation will be skis, a dog-sled, sailboat, bicycle and kite-sled. Audi has provided a light-weight sled that will allow Nilson to transport his equipment as he nears the southern pole, and the automaker has also offered up its test facility so Nilson can ensure that it will withstand the harsh conditions to which it'll be subjected. The test facility is capable of recreating freezing temperatures and vicious wind, two of many environmental hazards awaiting Nilson on his trip.

In addition to the carbon-fiber sled and cold-weather testing, Audi has supplied a Q5 that will serve as a support vehicle as Nilson treks across the Americas. The Q5 spews CO2 so the team will work to offset the difference and keep the expedition carbon neutral.