Rafael Nadal adds Kia EV6 to personal fleet, promises to drive clean

Tennis superstar and world No. 5 Rafael Nadal is a champion on the court but the Spaniard also wants to be a champion for the cause of sustainable mobility. And because traveling across the world in jets for tournaments may not be good for the planet, Nadal is ready to make a change where he can and he is starting with what he drives. In comes Kia EV6 battery-powered vehicle into the Nadal garage.

Nadal was presented with the Kia EV6 model in a special handover ceremony on Thursday. The event took place in Manacor in Spain's Mallorca, Nadal's hometown.

Rafael Nadal sits inside his new Kia EV6 vehicle.

The EV6 is the first dedicated electric vehicle from Kia but the EV6 GT-Line unit presented to Nadal has been specially customized for him. And the 35-year-old took the opportunity to underline his commitment towards electric mobility. “My job naturally requires a lot of travel, and my lifestyle is not fully sustainable. But I’m determined to make the necessary changes where I can, starting with my personal use of the EV6 crossover in Mallorca and beyond," he said. "I feel lucky to have the support of Kia and the new EV6 that will help drive my commitment. I would like to encourage others to join me in driving these kind of vehicles wherever possible."

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Kia further informs that Nadal will make use of his EV6 at major tennis tournaments like 2022 Australian Open. Additionally, he also has plans of converting all the vehicles deployed at the Rafa Nadal Academy and Rafa Nadal Foundation to battery-powered options by 2022.

Nadal is the brand ambassador of Kia and so, it is but natural that he took delivery of an EV from the South Korean auto major. Kia has major plans of going big in the world of electric mobility and having Nadal on board is more than likely to help. "We at Kia strongly believe in our ethos that movement inspires ideas. The EV6 is the model that embodies this new brand ethos of ours, and we feel privileged to have Rafa on our team as our global brand ambassador for the past 15 years," said Artur Martins, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia’s Global Brand and Customer Experience Division.

Kia EV6 has been launched in select markets where the response has been solid. The first 1,500 Kia EV6 electric vehicles were sold out in US within hours of opening bookings,

The EV6 crossover has two battery pack options - 58 kWh or 77.4 kWh. It claims to have a range of up to 410 kilometres and is also capable of hitting 100 kmph from standstill in around 5.2 hours. It is the main weapon of choice for Kia as the company sets out to achieve its big plans for electric mobility.