Quebec EV Driver Successfully Gets From Ontario to the Arctic Ocean and Back
Remember that Hyundai IONIQ 5 owner who made it his mission to drive from Hyundai Canada's head office in Markham, Ontario all the way to the shores of the Arctic Ocean? Well, the mission is accomplished, and he's back.
Patrick Nadeau drove across five provinces and two territories and finally reached the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. on June 10.
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The full round trip took almost 316 hours and totalled 19,743 km, for an average of 5.3 km/kWh—equivalent to 18.9 kWh/100 km. This is even better than the 20.1 kWh/100 km announced by Natural Resources Canada for the 2025 IONIQ 5 Preferred AWD with 19-inch wheels, despite the sometimes difficult road and weather conditions.
"Reaching Tuktoyaktuk in an IONIQ 5 is an incredible feeling, a true testament to the vehicle's unwavering performance and the steady evolution of Canada's EV charging network," he said. "This trip wasn't just about the kilometres, it was about proving what's possible with an EV. The support and interest from Canadians along the way have been truly inspiring."
No Problem With Charging
With a little bit of planning, Nadeau was able to locate all the public chargers along the way, even in the northern part of the country where they remain much scarcer. Thanks to the new-for-2025 84kWh battery, the official range of his vehicle was 463 km. It charged 87 times for an average of 42 minutes and a total cost of $1,403.13.
"With a regular SUV averaging 10 L/100 km, this same trip would have cost me more than twice that amount in gas alone," he pointed out.
According to Nadeau, the biggest challenges during this cross-country adventure had nothing to do with the fact that he was driving an electric vehicle.
"I ended up being stuck in Dawson City for a few days because I needed to hop on a ferry that was not open yet due to high water levels,” he said. “After reaching the Arctic Ocean, a part of the Alaska Highway was closed for a little while due to wildfires, which also delayed my trip.”
By the way, Nadeau’s IONIQ 5 carried roughly 400 lbs of gear. This included essential filming equipment, camping gear, clothing, food and a full-sized spare wheel and tire he wisely picked up in Whitehorse for the final part of his journey. He didn’t need the latter, though, as the entire trip was completed without a single puncture.
