Hyundai does not appear in the top group in the ranking of car brands that take care of the electrification of vehicle fleets as mobility partners of German professional clubs. After all, the Koreans are “only” on board as sponsors of two clubs. However, if the e-mobile commitment of the manufacturers is taken as a yardstick, Hyundai stands out. The cooperation with partners Eintracht Frankfurt and Hertha BSC is by no means limited to the supply of e-vehicles and joint PR activities. Rather, their fans are also actively involved in the CO2 reduction campaigns, in which some amateur clubs also participate.
CO2 reduction thanks to “ecoChallenge“
Since the 2020/2021 season, soccer clubs have been able to take part in the “Hyundai ecoChallenge” organized together with partner SPM Sportplatz Media and win attractive prizes while saving hundreds of tons of CO2.
Via Germany’s largest sports team organization app “SpielerPlus,” which is used by more than 250,000 teams in over 75 sports and thus by more than three million coaches and players, amateur teams can use the “carpool” function to drive to training or games together in one car and thus collect points in the “ecoScore” for the respective team. The more carpools are formed within the team via the app, the higher the Hyundai ecoScore grows. As soon as a team has collected at least 100 points in a month, it enters the lottery pot and takes part in the prize draw. The grand prize is a Hyundai team bus. In 2021 alone, the campaign recorded a total of 57,241 carpools, saving 343 tons of CO2. “With the ecoChallenge, the fun of the game starts when you leave for the training ground or match venue. This then not only strengthens team spirit, but also protects the environment at the same time,” says Sebastian Carlin, Team Leader Sports Marketing Hyundai Motor Germany.
Special edition “Eintracht Legends”
Hyundai and its partner Eintracht Frankfurt came up with a clever idea. Nine club icons of the Europa League champions were honored in a special way, namely with a limited special edition of the Hyundai KONA Elektro. With the “Eintracht Legends” edition of the electric bestseller, limited to 99 units, club members were able to secure an “Stromer” with the name of their favorite players of days gone by.
The legends include the first South Korean in the Bundesliga, Cha Bum Kun, “Charly” Karl-Heinz Körbel, “Übersteiger” Jan Aage Fjörtoft, “soccer god” Alex Meier, midfield director Uwe Bein and goalkeeping legend Oka Nikolov. They all adorn the rear of the special edition with their names and the Eintracht emblem and have placed their signatures next to the glove compartment in the interior along with the limited edition vehicle number. Not least because of the attractive monthly lease price of just 99 euros for a term of 24 months, the limited edition was sold out in a flash.
Cult kicker Charly Körbel was also honored in the Legends Edition
Free VIP tickets in Hyundai Fantaxi
On all Eintracht and Hertha home match days, Hyundai ticket cabs are on the road around the stadiums, carrying free VIP tickets. The service also includes a drop-off service to the VIP entrance. To enjoy this service, fans simply have to flag down the appropriate vehicle.
“Hyundai Moments” competition
Hyundai’s comprehensive e-mobile soccer commitment also includes other offers for fans such as “Hyundai Moments,” a sweepstakes in which prize winners can drive to away games in the all-electric “Ioniq 5”.
Our sustainability commitment in soccer is not limited to electrifying the fleets of our partner clubs, but we also involve their fans through special e-mobile offers.
Christina Herzog, Leiterin Marketing + PR, Hyundai Deutschland
The prize includes four VIP tickets to a specific Bundesliga match, each for the winner and three accompanying persons of his or her choice. In addition, Hyundai provides a vehicle for the journey to and from the match and covers the electricity costs. In addition, the prize includes 4 x one overnight stay in a double room in a hotel at the match venue. In this way, people who have not yet had any experience with this new form of mobility also come into contact with e-vehicles.
Expansion of the charging infrastructure
The electrification of the vehicle fleets is accompanied by the expansion of the charging infrastructure at both Hyundai professional partners. At Eintracht, there are 20 charging stations in the lower parking deck, and six more in the underground parking garage in the building.
Chargers are also already in place at Hertha in Berlin, and the club is currently working on further expansion of the charging infrastructure.
In addition, a solar system will be installed on the roof of the Olympic Stadium. However, the club’s commitment to sustainability in the area of mobility also includes other elements. Efforts are also being made to influence the mobility of stadium visitors to and from the stadium – after all, this is responsible for 74 percent of all the club’s CO2 emissions. In order to first gain a better insight into visitor mobility, an analysis was carried out in which 4,000 fans took part. In particular, they were asked which environmentally friendly means of transport they would like to use in the future. As many as 74 percent already use public transport to get to the stadium, most of them making use of the VBB ticket included in their admission ticket. The “Alte Dame” is currently undergoing sustainability certification in accordance with the DEKRA “sustainClub” standard, a recognized audit in professional soccer.
Text: Peter Grett
Images:
Lead and last picture (No.10): Hertha BSC Berlin
Picture 9: Eintracht Frankfurt
All other pictures and video: Hyundai Motor Germany
