Scottish film star Ewan McGregor, who is known the world over for his portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars movies, and his fellow actor and motorbike enthusiast Charley Boorman are the main characters in the wonderful documentary series Long Way Up. It chronicles their epic journey, aboard electric Harley Davidson LiveWires, from Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost point in South America, all the way to Los Angeles.
The 11-part documentary follows their adventures as they encounter every type of terrain and every type of weather (as luck would have it, when they set off, Tierra del Fuego was experiencing its lowest temperatures since 1974). Their journey, for which Enel X set up the Pan-American Corridor of charging points in just six months, is a splendid showcase for electric mobility.
Ewan and Charley are old hands when it comes to long distance motorbike rides. Their previous exploits include 2004’s Long Way Round (from London to New York, but via Europe, Asia and then North America), and 2007’s “Long Way Down” (from John O’Groats, the northernmost point in mainland Britain, to Cape Town in South Africa). Long Way Up is, however, their first taste of electric transport.