Back in town, husband and wife Fan Yuhu and Chee Shin Yi began a new global endeavour. Being the first couple to travel around the world in an electric vehicle, they plan to visit 100 countries in 800 days. They are pictured here with the Dragon in Siniawan Old Town.
Charging Across Continents
Last November, husband and wife Fan Yuhu and Chee Shin Yi travelled to Kuching in their van, which originally came from China and shipped from West Malaysia. The world travellers drove in their van, which had the words “A man wandering earth” stickered on it.
The Chinese man and Malaysian woman, who had recently married, returned to Kuching with a new goal in mind. Their next ambition is to go around the world in an electric vehicle (EV) to 100 countries in 800 days. They are said to be the first couple to set off on this journey. Fan and Chee, now in their seventh country, crossed the Sarawak border on February 14 and arrived in Kuching four days later.
During an interview with New Sarawak Tribune, Chee revealed that they have been on the road since September 16. Driving from West Malaysia to Thailand; Laos; Yunnan, China; Vietnam; and Cambodia.
“We planned to travel through China, but we had to pay an RMB100,000 deposit to enter with our car. We also had to prepare documentation through a travel agency because their foreign car policy is strict. If not for this obstacle, we could have been in Mongolia. We had the same issue in Vietnam. So, we went to Cambodia instead,” shared Chee.
According to Chee, the duo also wanted to enter Myanmar, but were stopped at the border. She said that foreigners were not permitted to enter due to the ongoing civil war at the time.
“Because of these limitations, we were unable to pass through Iran or India, and we were unable to complete a circumnavigation of the globe through this route.”
Therefore, Fan and Chee decided to reroute their tour around the world, returning to Malaysia, then to nearby islands such as East Timor and Papua New Guinea, before continuing on to New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, North Canada, Alaska, and so on.
After shipping their EV to the tip of Borneo — Kudat, Sabah — for an estimated RM2,000, they travel through Sabah, Brunei, and now Sarawak. They arrived in Kudat on January 27 and drove throughout the state.
“The scenery there was beautiful. I enjoyed my time in Sabah, especially in Kundasang, Semporna, Sandakan, and Keningau,” said Fan.
Driving across countries in an EV
When asked if driving an EV around the world was more difficult than driving a van, Chee said that there was nothing to worry about.
“Because as long as there are people, there will be electricity to charge our car. In Sarawak, there are many EV charging stations. Thus, it was quite convenient for us here.”
Meanwhile, the socket pin in Laos was a challenge because the car only had a three-pin socket. Nonetheless, Chee said that they had purchased an electrical adapter so that they could charge their car regardless of the electrical ports available in different countries.
Fan, the driver, prefers EVs over petrol-powered ones. After driving an EV, he finds it difficult to go back to petrol or diesel cars.
“It’s very quiet and light. There is little maintenance required, and servicing is available at any BYD car outlet. In Thailand, there are over 10,000 BYD outlets. We could just drive over, service, or charge our car there.”
Regarding charging time, Fan said a 500-kilometer journey can take up to 44 hours to charge using a standard electric outlet. Meanwhile, it can take up to six hours to fully charge using an electrical port.
However, the conversion goes beyond the convenience of using electricity instead of gas. Fan has a family history of lung cancer.
“My father, grandmother, and brother were all diagnosed with it and passed away. I’m not sure when my turn will come, so I’m trying to make the most of my time on Earth. And if I do die eventually, I hope to do so while on the road.”
On the road for 800 days
“Anything can happen while on the road,” Chee said. Being the worrywart of the two, she admitted to feeling stressed all the time, especially while approaching any country’s borders.
“I’m usually anxious as I’m not sure what will happen in the next hour. Over time, I learned to relax and prepare all of the necessary documentation. I understand that I shouldn’t put too much pressure on myself to ensure that everything goes smoothly.”
Despite the fact that a few countries’ policies had demotivated her, she remained optimistic.
“There will be countries with more restrictive entry, such as those in Africa. I have already prepared my mind and heart for it. Fortunately, Fan has the experiences from his previous journey.”
Eight hundred days is more than two years, and Chee believes that a lot can happen in those weeks and months.
“With our plan to visit 100 countries across six continents, we need to save money, especially since we will be shipping our car from one location to another. One way we accomplish this is by sleeping in our car and eating bread or rice with sauces.”
Chee revealed their methods for earning money that would cover their road journey, which was challenging.
“We sell books and e-books. We also monetised our social media accounts, such as YouTube, Douyin, and Xiao Hong Shu.”
Her first time
Though Fan has over a decade of road experience, this is Chee’s first time travelling around the world in a driven vehicle. She finds it daunting. Nonetheless, she is excited about the journey because it has been her dream since she was a teenager.
“I had this dream while growing up in the church, watching the elders go to missionaries all over the world to help others. They would travel to neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, and I realised that they could experience a different culture that way,” said the 34-year-old.
When she was in her early 20s, she travelled to Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and the Philippines for a year each to volunteer and teach Chinese. She also volunteered to teach in Cambodia, albeit for only one month.
“I love learning about different cultures. Following that, I returned to Malaysia and spent the end of my 20s teaching in a kindergarten in Kuala Lumpur. I had no plans to find a life partner until Fan came along during the lockdown in 2020,” she said.
Though they each have different interests, they shared a common goal: to travel the world to experience different cultures together.
“We don’t plan on quitting our journey anytime soon because we’ve enjoyed our time on the road. Every time we pass the border, the change of scenery is refreshing. We are always excited to discover new cultures and foods, no matter what awaits us.”
