With the support of Kia UK, the team will start the drive on 5th September and aim to arrive in Lisbon on 9th September – World EV Day.
Inspired by an endurance test completed by Sir Stirling Moss 70 years ago, the Marathon is understood to be the first time the route has been attempted in a fully electric vehicle as a continuous trip.
The Marathon draws on the adventure undertaken by Stirling Moss in 1952 – a publicity stunt to promote 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.
This is the second time the team is opting to use the Kia EV6, having recently used the car to complete the first ‘Fen to Fell’ drive in an EV, a 334-km route from Britain’s lowest to highest roads. This was the first time the route was done in an electric vehicle on a single charge with a remaining range of 171 km.
The EV6 ‘Air’ boasts a WLTP range of 525 km on a single charge, and a spacious cabin, thanks to a long wheelbase. The car also has 800V ultra-rapid charging tech that should reduce pit stop times. It is capable of taking the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes when using a 350 kW charger, or from 10 to 80 percent in 1 hour 13 minutes using a 50kW charger.
The team will make use of ‘Kia Charge’ for easy access to chargers across all parts of the UK, Northern Ireland and Europe. It lets owners choose from 23 charge point operators in the UK via a single account, and dozens more across Europe.