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September 2011: Tesla Roadster driver Rafael de Mestre planned to be the first world round trip driver with a standard EV on 2013 with Model S.

February 2012: Two French guys started on February 2012 to be the first and named their trip „electric odyssey“ www.electric-odyssey.com

March 2012: Mr. Rafael de Mestre decides to accept the race and plans now to overtake the French guys before they reach their starting point Strassbourg.

Mr. de Mestre, a Spanish driver, will start in Barcelona in May, will pass Strassbourg and then will follow the French guys to cross US, China, Russia and Europe, passing Strassbourg before the French and coming back to Barcelona. He wants to make it in 80 days. Preparation can't start before April 15th due to customer project finishing.


April 2012: Press preparation. This first electric vehicle race will be followed by TV, radio, press and internet. First support is promised by RWE. Rafael de Mestre plans to start on May 1st in Bercelona trying to overtake them, driving with his Tesla Roadster #507, before they reach their aim Strasbourg. Very stressful preparation to get visas and the needed papers to be able to cross the countries.

May 2012: Planned start 1.5.2012 is postponed due to several circumstances:

The mayor of Barcelona has a full schedule for this day

The driver Rafael de Mestre went ill

The drive through license for China will be delayed

Rescheduled to 10.5.2012 due to missing drive through license for China

Rescheduled to 11.5.2012 due to missing Passport - blocked by Visa Kazachstan

11.5.2012 RACE STARTED in Barcelona - exact 3 months later than the French - including the risk to fail due to missing papers for US.

15.5.2012 Arrival in Strasbourg

17.5.2012 Arrival in Cologne

18.5.2012 Ready to transport in Frankfurt - US insurance still missing. Without the insurance the car will be blocked in NY ...

21.5.2012 Yeah! Got the US insurance!

22.5.2012 Car and driver in NY now

23.5.2012 Departing heading west

05.6.2012 Arrival in San Francisco - China drive through license still not available

07.6.2012 Waiting in LA for transfer - China drive through license for 25.6. confirmed - will loose 14 days ...

17.6.2012 Car arrived China. Following the newest calculations I have to drive 400km per day starting with 26.6. to reach Barcelona 80 days after the start, race turns to a mission impossible ... 

22.6.2012 Chinese dragon boat festivity blocks all procedures from ongoing till 25.6. :(

23.6.2012 Rafael de Mestre reaches Beijing.

26.6.2012 Tianjin - Driving licence doctor test, one certificate more ...

02.7.2012 Got the driving license

03.7.2012 Car security test

04.7.2012 Got the license plates

05.7.2012 Fly to Germany for the wedding of Rafael de Mestre's brother

06.7.2012 Visa only valid for one entrance, new Visa application for China will last 4 to 8 days

07.7.2012 Flying to Hongkong

08.7.2012 Getting the China Visa in Hongkong. Kasachstan visa will outdate tomorrow.

09.7.2012 Flight to Beijing deviated due to thunderstorms to Jinan - reaching the hotel to stay overnight om Junly 10th 2 a.m. Reception wants Rafael to share a room with an other person.

10.7.2012 Reached Beijing in the afternoon, too late for Kasachstan embassy.

11.7.2012 Waiting in a queue at the embassy for three hours with no success, visa shall last 5 days. Postponed to be able to catch the French on the way.

12.7.2012 Taking the train to Tianjin. Driving to the hotel, plug off the car and gooo!!

13.7.2012 Got 30A at the hotel, great!

14.7.2012 driving crossing China

22.7.2012 after only 10 days China crossed from Tianjin to Urumqui, waiting for KZ visa now.

25.7.2012 Got the visa for KZ, driving to Kraramay.

26.7.2012 Roadster killer roads - deviation needed, not driving to Karamay, driving to Almati.

02.8.2012 Arrived in Astana over Almati. Visa for Russia is faster to get in Germany, booking a flight. 

13.8.2012 Flying back to Astana

16.8.2012 Kazachstan crossed - leaving to Russia

17.8.2012 Invitation from Ekatarinenburg

18.8.2012 Day of the special moments Ekatarinenburg and Krefeld

24.8.2012 Russia crossed in only 8 days - leaving to Ukraine. Status France/Spain 21565/19744km

27.8.2012 Ukraine done. Status France/Spain 22244/20859km

28.8.2012 Pit stop in Bcharest Status France/Spain 22388/21301km

30.8.2012 Sibiu FR:22731 / ES:21676km

31.8.2012 Budapest FR:23066 / ES:22218

02.9.2012 car accident in Germany

03.9.2012 crash box mounted FR:23303 / ES: 22821km

04.9.2012 finishing of technic repairing FR:23325 / ES: 22821km

05.9.2012 handover of repaired car, driving to accident point and proceeding the race

06.9.2012 arrival in Luzern FR:23739 ES:23480km

08.9.2012 arrival in Perpignan FR:24247 ES:24365km - Spain overtakes total driven km record

11.9.2012 after driving through the Pyrenees and Andorra start from Zaragoza to Santander

13.9.2012 driving from Santander over Zaragoza to Manresa in one day about 680km

14.9.2012 great welcome starting with press in Manresa and then every 20km stops for fotos and press with the big highlight of entering Barcelona through the Arco de Triunfo

15.9.2012 The whole day press, interviews and fotos. I gave one kind guy a short acceleration ride as birthday present, who yelled loud for fun. I met a very kind reporter of Vanguardia newspaper, who asked me very interesting questions, not the custom, boaring ones :)

16.9.2012 Visited the grave of my father

17.9.2012 Interview in Zaragoza

18.9.2012 Arrival in Bilbao - meeting with Michael Eymann (black Tesla Roadster)

19.9.2012 Meeting Thomas Schleich with his white Tesla and driving to Bordeaux

20.9.2012 Driving with three Teslas through France, skipping Paris.

21.9.2012 Heading Strasbourg, Udo Werges joins with his black Tesla in Nancy.

22.9.2012 Road closed, jam, it seems, that we should not reach Strasbourg ...

17h Arrival in Strasbourg, driving on to the Place Kleber and opening of the bottle of Champaign Rafael de Mestre got as gift from the Barcelona authorities.

Records

- Rafael de Mestre, the first man, who drove allone around in an electric car around the world

- KIT: First standard 100% electric car, which went 100% self driven around the world

- Rafael de Mestre: Winner of the first electric car race around the world

- KIT: Longest drive in a standard electric car

- Rafael de Mestre: Fastest electric circumnavigation ever