• Ford teams up with Lexie Alford, the youngest person to visit every country in the world, for an ambitious trip around the globe in the new all-electric Ford Explorer

• Popularly known to millions of internet users as Lexie Limitless, Lexie’s adventure takes its inspiration from another record woman, Aloha Wanderwell, who circumnavigated the world in a Ford Model T in the 1920s.

• Ford today revealed the new all-electric Explorer, which is fully equipped to introduce families across Europe to the world of adventure

One hundred years ago, a now-iconic trailblazer turned the tide to redefine what was possible for explorers.

Between 1922 and 1927, Aloha Wanderwell became the first woman to circumnavigate the world in a car, traveling through 43 countries. Partially sponsored by the Ford Motor Company, he set records with a Ford Model T – the car that put the world on wheels.

Now, as Ford accelerates its mission to lead the electric vehicle revolution, the company is joining forces with influencer and adventure travel enthusiast Lexie Alford – known to millions online as Lexie Limitless. The aim of the whole venture is to continue the legacy of Wanderwell and redefine the concept of exploratory travel in a trip around the world, this time with the new all-electric Ford Explorer.

Starting later this year, Lexie will lead an expedition around the world, overcoming challenges, meeting people from many cultures and visiting places of extraordinary beauty. And all this with the support of the zero emission Ford Explorer.

“We’re excited to see what our new all-electric Explorer and Lexie Alford can do together on this mission – inspired by Aloha Wanderwell’s pioneering journey,” said Martin Sander, general manager of Ford Model e in Europe. “We were part of the Aloha journey all those years ago and have been helping people achieve ambitious adventures ever since – we can’t wait to see how our electric future will maintain that revolutionary spirit.”

Lexie broke the world record and became the youngest person to visit every country in the world by the age of 21. Now he continues to explore the planet, showcasing the wonders of the world while encouraging others to do the same. Lexie paves the way for a new generation of explorers with uncompromising curiosity, driven by the same rebellious attitude as Wanderwell.

Just as Ford supported Wanderwell in the 1920s, the company is now partnering with Lexie Alford on this 21st century journey to honor the modern Explorer, who stands out for his passion for sustainable travel , but also to showcase what is really possible with an electric vehicle.

“Aloha Wanderwell’s story is especially inspiring to women travelers, but it really encourages everyone to push their limits and explore new places,” said Lexie Alford. “I am excited to follow in the footsteps of this legendary pioneer, while showing what the future of road trips with electric vehicles can look like. There will be many obstacles and challenges, but that’s part of the joy of the journey and I’ll be documenting it all online!”

Making its world debut today, the futuristic new Explorer combines German engineering with striking American styling and is packed with smart technologies and smart ideas that help drivers and passengers stay connected and relaxed on their adventures. Its features include a large mobile touch screen that can also hide a secret glove box, a vast storage space in front and state-of-the-art connectivity that connects wirelessly to smartphones. All this is combined with electric drive systems that can charge from 10 to 80% in just 25 minutes. 1

Following in the footsteps of Aloha
Aloha Wanderwell was an explorer, filmmaker, wife and mother. She began her journey around the world at the age of 16 and visited places that no Western man or woman had ever seen before.

Wanderwell’s daring journey started from Nice, France while her return home was from Kilindini Port, Mombasa. Throughout the journey he had to adapt to difficult conditions: kerosene replaced petrol and crushed bananas were used as lubricant for the vehicle’s moving parts.

You can follow Lexie’s adventures in the near future on the websites https://twitter.com/FordNewsEuropehttps://www.instagram.com/fordnewseurope/ and https://www.youtube.com/fordnewseurope.