Hyundai Motor UK is supplying KONA Electric SUVs to Chelsea Football Club. Hyundai and Chelsea have teamed up to create a Turn the Blues, Green breakthrough brand campaign, which leverages Hyundai’s lead in sustainable mobility to electrify Chelsea’s fleet and create engaging content to educate football fans, and the public, on making the switch to electric vehicles.
As part of the Turn the Blues, Green campaign, The Club and Hyundai have also installed six electric charging points at Chelsea’s Cobham Training Centre, where the players can plug in their KONA Electric SUVs before taking them to pitch to train. Chelsea’s female stars, who were recently crowned Football Association’s (FA) Super League Champions for the second season in succession, are already on the ball with battery-electric vehicle (BEV) technology, having taken delivery of their first batch of KONA Electric SUVs.
“We had no idea how easy it was to charge an electric car. At first, we had the manual out and everything, and then we realised how quick, easy and smooth it was to plug the KONA Electric in,” says Chelsea striker Pernille Harder, who is sharing an SUV with her girlfriend, team captain Magdalena Eriksson. “Having the charging points at the training centre is a complete luxury. We can just plug in before we start training, and then we can drive home with a full battery,” explains Eriksson.
As well as experiencing the KONA Electric’s ability to recharge the battery in 47* minutes using a 50-kW direct current (DC) charging station, the players have been enjoying the compact SUV’s agile handling, advanced connected technology and highly impressive 300-mile** electric driving range. “I drove one long trip to Wales and back, so the KONA Electric feels just as easy to live with as a petrol or diesel car,” says Chelsea midfielder Sophie Ingle, who also captains the Welsh National Team.
Hyundai’s relationship with Chelsea sees the company’s famous logo appear on match shirt sleeves in all domestic and UEFA Champions League matches, from the men’s and women’s teams through to the Academy. The four-year deal represents Hyundai’s first venture into English Football, having enjoyed a long-term association with the international game for over 20 years.
“At Chelsea, we pride ourselves on partnering with some of the world’s leading companies, and we have enjoyed a successful relationship with Hyundai since the beginning of the 2018/19 season. Now, with the introduction of the ‘Turn the Blues, Green’ campaign, our players are stepping up a gear by getting behind the wheel of Hyundai’s zero-emission KONA Electric SUV. Stories of their driving adventures will help inform the public of the importance of sustainable mobility as we move towards the UK’s regulation changes on cars powered solely by a petrol or diesel engine in 2030. We have an exciting future ahead with Hyundai, of which sustainability is a big focus,” says Guy Laurence, Chelsea FC CEO.
See the Hyundai Kona Forum for more information.
“It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to engage further with Chelsea on Turn the Blues, Green and to have the players’ feedback on life with the KONA Electric,” reveals Ashley Andrew, Managing Director at Hyundai Motor UK. “A lack of experience and education can often prove an initial barrier for first-time EV owners, so creating this platform to tell these stories in a relatable way to fans and customers is truly an innovative solution. We are certain that it will give potential customers additional confidence to make the switch to EVs and, like the Blues, turn their own lives Green.”
The campaign will initially run through the 2021/22 season, with KONA Electric models supplied to the club. “We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Chelsea once again and consolidate our long-term partnership,” says Michael Cole, President and CEO at Hyundai Motor Europe. “Our Turn the Blues Green campaign will help raise public awareness of the benefits of battery-electric cars like our KONA Electric and enable us to deliver Progress for Humanity.”
The award-winning Hyundai KONA SUV features the most sustainable mobility-focussed line-up in the sector with Electric, Hybrid and Petrol with Mild Hybrid powertrains on offer. KONA also provides cutting-edge, connected technology, with advanced features such as a Head-up display (HUD), Touch screen display, Wireless charging pad and a Full 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster all available.