Kia works together with the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam for the 25th year, and the 130-strong fleet for the event features more electric vehicles (EVs) than ever.
As with last year’s tournament, the Kia Tournament fleet is fully electrified, with 55 EVs and 75 hybrids driving players and officials throughout Melbourne during the major sporting event.
These 55 fully electric vehicles consist of the EV5 and EV9 SUVs, while the 75 hybrids will be split between the Carnival MPV and Sportage SUV.
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It is the first time that EVs will make up more than 40 percent of the total vehicle supply, reducing the fleet’s impact on the environment during 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 Australian former men’s doubles number one, world number one and Grand Slam champion, Todd Woodbridge.
“2026 is a big year for the brand, locally and globally, and as we expand our electric vehicle portfolio, we are proud to offer a wide selection of electrified vehicles that will power mobility in Melbourne throughout the tournament,” said Mr Meredith.
“Our fleet of fully electrified vehicles strengthens our position as a provider of sustainable mobility and 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 “provided additional operational vehicles to support the growing size 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 and PV5, both new EVs due to hit 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 twenty years ago.
It will join a growing range of electric cars in Kia’s local range, including the EV3, EV5, EV6 and EV9 SUVs.
This year will also see the introduction of the EV4, Kia’s first electric passenger car in Australia.
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