Most electric-vehicle road trips involve finding a charger somewhere between home and the destination. Rainer Zietlow decided to make things slightly more complicated by having to find chargers in 92 countries.
Driving a production Volkswagen ID. Buzz, Zietlow and the Challenge4 team covered 99,767 kilometers, or roughly 62,000 miles. The journey crossed six continents and everything from deserts and mountain roads to some of the world’s busiest cities.
The expedition began in Hannover, Germany, on July 1, 2025. Some 441 days later, the ID. Buzz returned to the same city after completing a journey that required more than 300 charging stops and 16 sea transfers.
The result earned Zietlow a Guinness World Record for the most countries visited during a continuous journey by a battery-powered electric vehicle. Perhaps equally impressive, the team says the Volkswagen completed the entire trip without a technical breakdown.
Nearly 100,000 Kilometers Without Breaking Down
The record-setting vehicle was a series-production, long-wheelbase ID. Buzz supplied by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The Pro version uses an 86-kWh usable battery and offers roughly 500 km, or around 310 miles, of maximum WLTP range.
The route took the van through Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, and North America. Since driving between continents is one of the capabilities Volkswagen hasn’t added to the ID. Buzz, 16 ferry and container-ship transfers were needed along the way.
Two sets of GitiSynergy H2 tires handled the entire journey, with the second fitted around the halfway point. Giti says the final set still had more than half of its total tread depth remaining when the expedition finished.
Finding Electricity Was Sometimes The Hard Part
The ID. Buzz may have avoided breakdowns, but finding somewhere to plug it in wasn’t always straightforward. Charging infrastructure varied dramatically between the 92 countries the team visited.
In Zambia and Tanzania, for example, the lack of a suitable public charging network meant the team had to arrange charging at national substations. Zietlow described China as being in another league when it came to charging infrastructure and widespread EV adoption.
That makes the achievement less a demonstration of effortless EV travel and more a test of how far careful planning can take one. The team itself acknowledges that preparation, patience, and adaptability were essential throughout the journey.
The Battery Survived Surprisingly Well
Nearly 100,000 kilometers and hundreds of charging stops also provided an unusually demanding test for the ID. Buzz’s battery. TÜV Nord’s post-trip inspection states that it retained 95.75% state of health after completing the expedition.
The van arrived back in Hannover on September 14, where the Guinness World Records certificate was presented at IAA Transportation. For Zietlow, it marked another record in a long career of extreme-distance driving. Finding somewhere to charge the ID. Buzz in all 92 countries may just be the most impressive part of the adventure.