Husband and wife duo Frank M Rinderknecht and Michelle pose with an e-vehicle used during the Tour d’Excellence expedition. Pic: Joelyn Baluyut/The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: The remarkable journey of the team behind Tour d’Excellence and the electric vehicles they used for a historic five-week expedition from Geneva to Doha has taken centre stage at the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) Qatar which concluded on Saturday.
Visitors to the show engaged with the team, including husband and wife, Frank M. Rinderknecht and Michèle Ramseier, and witnessed firsthand the two electric vehicles that completed an extraordinary 34-day journey spanning nearly 8,000km. This voyage spanned 12 countries and included traversing two seas.
Frank M. Rinderknecht, shared his enthusiasm for the journey. “It was awesome and amazing having to travel over 8,000 kilometers. You know it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance we have. What we are really proud of is not only we made it to Doha, but we are the first people to cross the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by its length in a fully electric vehicle. Nobody has ever done that, so we’re also kind of pioneers to cross a big country without infrastructure for EVs,” he told The Peninsula.
The idea for this remarkable journey was ignited by the GIMS CEO Sandro Mesquita. The couple which is among the team members embraced the challenge with two conditions: the journey had to be made in electric cars, promoting sustainability, and they wanted to actively participate in the project. The CEO agreed, and the adventurous journey became a reality.
The main takeaway from this incredible expedition is twofold, explained Rinderknecht who is also the founder and CEO of Rinspeed Inc. which based in Zumikon/Switzerland: the team aimed to bring the excellence of the Geneva Motor Show to the forefront at the Qatar event, but they faced many difficulties on their voyage, from technological difficulties to overcoming social barriers in different nations. Yet, it also introduced them to numerous supportive individuals along the way, leaving them with cherished memories, he explained.
One of the primary challenges was the absence of charging infrastructure in some countries, with Saudi Arabia being a significant hurdle. Rinderknecht shared: “In Saudi, it’s almost 4,000km with no infrastructure, so we had to tap into electricity systems of hotels, shops, gas stations. Many people were afraid, and once we hooked up, they thought the whole building would go dark.” Laughter followed, but they had a guide and managed to convince people of the value of their mission, he said.
Michèle Ramseier, the other half of this adventurous couple, also shared her experiences. She narrated that the language barrier proved to be a substantial challenge, necessitating them to download 26 mobile applications just to charge their cars in Europe. In Turkiye, they encountered Turkish-only charging instructions, a major hurdle. As they ventured further into the Middle East, not speaking Arabic posed challenges, which they overcame with the assistance of a local who joined their journey from Egypt.
Their main message to the youth revolves around environmental consciousness. “We should contribute to nature, to sustainability, and to the future,” Rinderknecht emphasised. “If everybody participates and contributes, it will make to a big thing, and we’ll be on a good way.”
Ramseier echoed this sentiment, underlining the importance of transitioning to electric vehicles for the sake of future generations. “We have to change the world because there are next generations, we even have grandchildren of our own, and I just would like that they can live like we live now.”
The Tour d’Excellence expedition, which commenced in Geneva on August 28, reached its destination in Doha on September 30. The journey, undertaken by two electric Volkswagen ID Buzz cars, symbolises the strong connection between the two cities and serves as a precursor to GIMS Qatar which concluded on October 14.
