An official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2022, Hyundai Motor Company, will help the world’s biggest football tournament to achieve its carbon-neutral ambition by providing eco-friendly vehicles and 50 percent passenger transportation for the event, according to Electric Cars Report.
This represents a first in the competition’s history to have eco-friendly vehicles in the event. Overall, Hyundai will give 616 fleet vehicles to FIFA World Cup 2022. There will be 446 passenger vehicles, with over 226 units to be battery-electric and hybrid-electric models.
In addition, the company will provide 10 Elec City electric buses during the event, which will be held in Qatar from November 20-December 18.
“Hyundai Motor and FIFA share a strong commitment to make this year’s event a sustainable success through the use of clean mobility,” said President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company Jaehoon Chang.
“By providing our eco-friendly hybrid and battery electric vehicles as ground transportation, we expect to achieve our shared goal of making the World Cup in Qatar a win-win for planet Earth and humanity.”
The automaker is also currently preparing an organization and support system for a stable EV operation.
It will issue Hyundai IONIQ 5, GV70 EV, Genesis G80 EV, KONA HEV, Sonata HEV, and Tucson HEV to transport FIFA staff and VIPs. And the Elec City buses to transport members of the media.
Furthermore, to ensure the vehicles’ steady operation, Hyundai will provide roadside charging services, and FIFA to give 100 kW-150 kW electric vehicle chargers at the event’s parking facilities in Doha, Qatar.
The brand will also utilize a real-time vehicle control service to enhance fleet service quality management. It detects any accident or vehicle malfunctions in real-time. Its system merges vehicle warehousing and emergency dispatch processes with accident response and vehicle repair.
A dedicated team will be on standby at the FIFA parking facilities’ Quality Situation Room to assist local operations and ensure seamless service.
Starting this month, the company also conducted a training program about its BEVs and HEVsfor drivers involved in the operation.
In relation to that, Hyundai launched the ‘Goal of the Century’ (GOTC) World Cup campaign. The campaign’s slogan, ‘A United World for sustainability,’ visualizes carbon neutrality for the World Cup and football fans worldwide.
The automaker built Team Century as part of its campaign. It is a group of campaign ambassadors, with Steven Gerrard, a former England national football player, as captain. Each member sets goals for shaping a sustainable future for the planet with their field of expertise.
Moreover, all Team Century members were presented to complete a single united team. The members include:
- American fashion designer Jeremy Scott
- Afghan refugee football player and Denmark UNESCO ambassador Nadia Nadim
- Boston Dynamics robot Spot
- Documentary photographer Nicky Woo
- Hyundai’s global brand ambassador BTS
- Italian sculptor Lorenzo Quinn.
A special GOTC video featuring BTS and other members started to be aired in Piccadilly Circus in London yesterday (October 21, 2022).
