In just five days a Kia EV6 will be driving from Oslo, Norway to Lisbon, Portugal.
Expedition specialist, Max Adventure plans to make the 3,600-mile ‘Driven To Extremes Euro EV Marathon’ journey, visiting 15 countries in just 120 hours.
Making the most of the Kia EV6’s range, its 800V rapid-charging technology and the support of Kia UK, the team will start the drive on 5th September, aiming to arrive in Lisbon on World EV Day, 9th September.
Project Leader Mac Mackeney said of the challenge: “We want to show how it’s possible to cover a huge distance in a short time using an EV, and that the vehicles as well as the charging infrastructure are already available.”
The marathon will be the first time the route has been attempted in a fully electric vehicle as a continuous trip. It draws on an endurance test undertaken by Stirling Moss in 1952. Promoting the then-new Humber Super Snipe 4-door saloon, the legendary racing driver, along with three of his ‘fast friends’, visited 15 European countries in less than five days.
The team is once again opting to use the Kia EV6, having recently completed the first ‘Fen to Fell’ drive in an EV using it. Its 209-mile journey from Britain’s lowest to highest roads was the first time any vehicle has tackled the route. It was completed on a single charge with an indicated remaining range of 107 miles.
With a WLTP range of 328 miles on single charge, the Kia EV6 ‘Air’ is well-suited to tackle the marathon. A spacious cabin and long wheelbase ensure the car also provides comfort during the 120-hour drive, while its 800V ultra-rapid charging technology will keep pit stops to a minimum. Capable of taking the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes when using a 350kW charger, or from 10 to 80 per cent in one hour 13 minutes using a 50kW charger, the Kia EV6 will allow the team to pick optimal stopping points along the way.
The car will also use ‘Kia Charge’. Providing easy access to chargers across all parts of the UK, Northern Ireland and Europe, ‘Kia Charge’ lets owners choose from 23 charge point operators in the UK via a single account, and dozens more across Europe. It provides instant access to more than 21,000 connectors across the UK, which is equivalent to approximately 70% of the national public infrastructure, and more than 300,000 across 29 European countries, all from a single account.
From its departure point at Kia’s Norwegian headquarters in Lorenskog on the outskirts of Oslo, the team of drivers will use main roads and bridges to cover the 3,600 miles and the adventure will be tracked at all times by a GPS system.
The location will be available via the Max Adventure website: https://www.maxadventure.co.uk/
The team of three will take turns behind the wheel of the EV6, resting and navigating, with the only planned stops made for driver swaps and vehicle charging. A support vehicle, also supplied, will accompany the EV6 to document the drive, carrying a photography and film crew.
Regular updates, including pictures and videos from the team will be available during the drive, published via its own social channels as well as Kia UK’s and other supporting partners.