Kumho’s Ecsta tyres cover 3,174 miles, 16 countries in Euro EV Marathon

Kumho Tyre (UK) supported the Max Adventure team as it beat its original time target on the Driven To Extremes Euro EV Marathon. The team covered its 3,174 mile-route from Oslo to Portugal in just 3.75 days in the fully electric Kia EV6 ‘Air’ fitted with Kumho’s Ecsta PS71 EV tyre. The team knocked 47 minutes off the time set by Sir Stirling Moss in 1952, adding an extra country to the list of those visited. The challenge was designed to show that a standard EV and current charging infrastructure can now allow drivers to cover vast distances in a short time. The Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV is an original fitment on the Kia EV6, with the 235/55R19 size used by the challenge car throughout the trial.

The Driven to Extremes Euro EV Marathon is understood to be the first time the route has been attempted in a fully electric vehicle as a continuous trip. The team departed on Sunday, 4 September at 15:00 and crossed the border into Portugal, at Vilar Formoso on Thursday, 8 September at 08:12. This marked the start and stop points for the timing – as per the original drive in 1952. The team of three took turns to drive, navigate, and rest, with the only stops made for driver swaps, refreshments, and vehicle charging.

Project leader Mac Mackenney said: “Ensuring that the team member on a rest cycle was able to sleep was vital to the safety of this project and, while an EV produces less vibration and noise than an ICE vehicle, road noise can be a problem. The team found that the Kia EV6 with the original fit Ecsta EV tyre delivered a pliant and quiet ride right across Europe. If it hadn’t gone smoothly, we couldn’t have bettered Sir Stirling’s time.”

Kumho Tyre (UK) managing director Keon Park said: “Many congratulations to the Max Adventure team on achieving their aim and for beating their target time in the process. It was an amazing feat with which Kumho was delighted to be involved.”

Kumho Ecsta PS71 EV characteristics

Kumho’s Ecsta tyre is notable for its minimal level of resonance noise, thanks to Kumho’s patented sound absorbing technology, K-Silent. This optimises the shape and properties of polyurethane foam materials placed within the tyre. This results in a marked reduction in the air vibration generated during contact with the road surface. Kumho developed the patented K-Silent system in 2014.

The PS71 EV also offers low rolling resistance, strong anti-wear performance, and excellent levels of grip, Kumho adds. All of these properties are considered vital in helping electric cars maximise their advantages.

The Kia EV6 ‘Air’ offers a WLTP combined range of up to 328 miles on a single charge. The car offers a spacious cabin and long wheelbase for comfort, while its 800V ultra-rapid charging technology kept pit stops to a minimum during the challenge. Capable of taking the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes when using a 350kW charger, or from 10 to 80 per cent in 1 hour 13 minutes using a 50kW charger, the Kia EV6 allowed the team to pick optimal stopping points along the way.

To ensure the team had the best possible chance of completing the challenge in time it also used ‘Kia Charge’. Providing easy access to chargers across all parts of the UK, Northern Ireland and Europe, ‘Kia Charge’ lets owners choose from 23 charge point operators in the UK via a single account, and dozens more across Europe. ‘Kia Charge’ provides instant access to more than 21,000 connectors across the UK – equivalent to approximately 70 per cent of the national public infrastructure – and more than 400,000 across 29 European countries, all from a single account.

From its departure point at Kia’s Norwegian headquarters in Lørenskog on the outskirts of Oslo, the team of drivers used main roads and bridges to cover the 3,174 miles and the adventure was tracked at all times by a GPS system. The route trace is available via partner YB Tracking: https://yb.tl/evmarathon. The team of three took turns behind the wheel of the EV6, driving, resting and navigating – with stops made for driver swaps, team rest and vehicle charging. A support vehicle, also supplied by Kia, accompanied the EV6 to document the drive, carrying a photography and film crew.