It is difficult to place a 5,270-pound SUV onto a tower of 154 feet.
The so-called Explore New Heights Challenge took place at the OVER climbing tower, which is 154 feet tall (47 meters high). Its peak is so high, that you can see half the Skagerrak Strait to neighboring Denmark from its top. The tower’s main structure is solid wood, and the tower has four climbing surfaces. Ford only wanted the best climbers and experienced to compete in this event. There were 14 competitors competing in a short qualifying round. Leo Ketil Boe, 21, won the title with a time record of 3:33. He was awarded the Explorer PHEV lease, and a 1/100-scale, 3D-printed replica the OVER tower. Ford took six months to plan and research the project before it was realized. The special platform supports the plug-in hybrid SUV and is 154 feet (47 meters) tall. Engineers and architects tested the structure to ensure it could withstand the extra weight.
“Norway is one of the world’s most progressive markets for electrified vehicles, so the OVER tower was the clear choice to host a challenge involving our pure-electric-capable, seven-seat SUV,” Dan Jones, a communications manager at Ford of Europe, comments. The Explorer PHEV will be on the tower through August 27.