By Brad Berman Hybridcars.com

The grueling 2012 Dakar Rally crossed 5,500 miles of rough terrain through the harshest conditions of South America. It’s hell on machines and drivers. The terrain is torturous and can strand even the most capable of vehicles. Since its inception in 1978, the Dakar Rally, which has taken place in Europe, South America and Africa—and has even claimed the lives of 25 participants.

Despite those harsh conditions, on January 15, the OSCar eO, an extended-range electric vehicle entered by the Latvian team, completed the rally. The 2012 race’s route through Argentina, Chile and Peru is a grueling test of endurance for even the most robust vehicles and drivers. The car’s historic finish demonstrates that electric vehicles can survive the world’s most challenging driving conditions.

Powered by a motor that cranks out up to 430 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, the OSCar eO is an electrified monster. The eO’s Nissan-sourced gasoline engine acts as a generator, but propulsion is 100-percent electric. Electric range is listed at up to 190 miles, but under the Rally’s extreme conditions, less than 100 miles is the norm. Including range-extended mode, the OSCar eO can travel up to 800 km (or roughly 500 miles,) without refueling.

Before the eO’s historic finish, Maris Saukans, the car’s pilot and a seven-time Dakar veteran, said, “We like to be considered as pioneers. Now we have two tasks on the Dakar: to finish the race and give others inspiration.”

The OSCar eO, driven by Saukans and engineer Andris Dambis, ranked an impressive 77th in the final classification. With its crossing of the finish line, the OSCar eO will forever be listed as the first extended-range electric vehicle to compete in and finish the Dakar Rally.