Kia is partnering with the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam for the 25th year, and its 130-strong vehicle fleet for the event has more electric vehicles (EVs) than ever.
As with last year’s tournament, the Kia tournament vehicle fleet is all-electrified – with 55 EVs and 75 hybrids driving players and officials throughout Melbourne during the major sporting event.
Making up those 55 all-electric vehicles are the EV5 and EV9 SUVs, while the 75 hybrids will be divided across the Carnival MPV and Sportage SUV.
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It’s the first time that EVs have made up more than 40 per cent of the total vehicles provided, reducing the fleet’s environmental impact over the three-week tournament.
Kia held its annual fleet handover ceremony on January 14 at Melbourne Park, home of the Australian Open, with the brand’s local CEO Damien Meredith joined by AO tournament director Craig Tiley; former men’s world number one and 2004 Australian Open champion, Marat Safin; as well as Aussie former men’s doubles world number one and Grand Slam champion, Todd Woodbridge.
“2026 is an important year for the brand locally and globally and as we move to expand our electric vehicle portfolio, we’re proud to provide a wide selection of electrified vehicles that will power mobility in Melbourne throughout the tournament,” said Mr Meredith.
“Reinforcing our position as sustainable mobility provider, our fleet of fully electrified vehicles signals our commitment to pushing boundaries, with our models setting a new benchmark for mobility at the tournament.”
In addition to the AO player fleet, Kia says it has also supplied “additional operational vehicles to support the growing scale of the Grand Slam Event”.
The 2026 Australian Open runs from January 18 to February 1.
Kia will also have a stand at the AO’s Grand Slam oval, which will see the local debut of the facelifted EV6 GT as well as the PV5, both new EVs headed to the Australian market later this year.
The PV5 is Kia’s first electric van, and the first van the brand has offered here since the diesel-powered Pregio was axed 20 years ago.
It’ll join a growing lineup of EVs in Kia’s local lineup, which includes the EV3, EV5, EV6 and EV9 SUVs.
This year will also see the introduction of the EV4, which will be Kia’s first electric passenger car in Australia.
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