The Kia EV9 has received the Moveo Car of the Year award from La Vanguardia. The newspaper's readers - with their online vote - and a jury of experts have chosen the South Korean brand's electric SUV as the best among the ten models contending for the award.
Carlos Godó, CEO of Grupo Godó, and Juan Vilda, director of Distribution Agreements at MAPFRE, presented the award to Emilio Herrera, president of Kia Iberia, at a gala held in the auditorium of the Mapfre Foundation with the sponsorship of Cepsa and MAPFRE and with the collaboration of Alsa.
The new Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, has chosen this ceremony as his first public act as minister. Also present were Ana Godó, director of Grupo Godó, and the director of La Vanguardia, Jordi Juan.
The CEO of the Godó group highlighted in his speech the "capacity of the mobility sector to adapt to market circumstances and launch improvements" to respond to challenges such as decarbonization, changes in the concept of ownership or the arrival of autonomous vehicles. .
He also took the opportunity to claim the "vital role" of the media in "preserving democracy," in the face of the "damage inflicted by social networks," whose "lack of responsibility with content is alarming." "False content represents 60% and is used to make audiences and businesses profitable worldwide", contributing to "misinformation and the spread of hoaxes and fake news."
"For me it is a very beautiful and symbolic act," said Hereu in his first act as minister. His commitment, he said, is to "govern for everyone" and hand in hand with an automotive industry that is "very important for the country." He also announced that his department is already "analyzing a second line of automotive Perte VEC 2 for more electric, battery and fuel pump models." It will be launched after the granting of almost 520 million in the first phase of Perte VEC 2.
There are numerous virtues that have made the Kia EV9 worthy of the award. According to the jury of experts, this large SUV redefines the experience of driving an electric and family vehicle. Its innovative exterior design conveys a feeling of serenity and robustness, while its wide wheelbase offers a spacious and comfortable interior.
This electric model, available in a version with up to seven seats, uses fourth-generation batteries, which offer a maximum range of 505 kilometers. On the other hand, it is equipped with highway driving assistance systems (Highway Driving Pilot) that, in some markets, allow it to reach level 3 autonomous driving.
In addition to La Vanguardia's Moveo Car of the Year award, other distinctions were also awarded during the gala, such as Characters of the Year, which has two categories, business and sports. In the first of them, this year the work of Josep Maria Recasens, director of Strategy and Business Development of Renault Group, director of Operations of Amper and CEO of Renault Group Iberia, has been recognized.
Recasens is not only transforming Renault's business on the peninsula, but is a key figure at the top of the French group, where he is considered the right-hand man of Luca de Meo, Renault's CEO.
The manager is one of the main architects of the Renaulution plan and directs the operations of the Amper (pure player electric and software) division. This Catalan manager with extensive experience in the sector, including two decades at Seat, also works on the front line in Renault's electric future.
The person of the year in the sporting aspect is Laia Sanz, an award-winning trial, enduro and rally raid driver. The Spaniard has been fourteen-time trial world champion and six-time enduro world champion.
For its part, the Sustainability award recognizes the effort in implementing environmentally friendly production processes, associated with renewable energy sources, in addition to projects aimed at protecting the environment.
This year's winner is Michelin for its contribution to electric and sustainable mobility through its range of efficient tires. All tires in the group are compatible with electric and hybrid vehicles, whether conventional hybrids (HEV) or plug-in hybrids (PHEV). In addition, Michelin equips half of the car brands that produce electric cars.
In this category, BMW has also been awarded for contributing to the conservation of the Mediterranean through its initiative “Giving back to the sea what belongs to the sea”, a unique project on the coast of Tarragona consisting of beaconing, through 10 biotopes or reefs. , from the protected area where the first sea mountain built with calcium carbonate is located. This area will become a unique underwater park in the world, intended to protect the biodiversity of the area.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the winners of the Innovation awards, which this year went to Toyota and Cupra. The Japanese group stands out for its commitment to hydrogen, which dates back more than two decades ago, when it launched a research and testing program on fuel cell technology. Toyota was a pioneer in 2014 with the launch of the first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell sedan in the world, the Toyota Mirai, whose second generation hit the market in 2021.
Cupra is awarded for the Cupra Easy Charging application, which provides access to 540,000 charging points and is currently the leader in the charging process of electric vehicles in Europe. Elli, the Volkswagen Group's charging and mobility brand for electric vehicles, leads charging infrastructure in Europe, where it has added, in just four months, more than 100,000 points to its network.
Thanks to this app, Cupra customers enjoy a borderless charging experience with access to approximately 950 suppliers in 28 European countries. In Spain, Elli has more than 9,000 chargers.
