Kia’s marketing campaign for the new EV9 got off to a shock start this week when model Jodie Kidd was electrocuted.
Fortunately the 44-year-old model and celebrity racing driver survived the ordeal which saw her zapped with 1 million volts of electricity.
Saving her from being killed was what is known a “Faraday” cage or suit which allowed the charge to pass over but not through her body.
Linesmen use the same kind of protection when required to work on live high voltage power lines without risk of electrocution.
Sitting on a raised platform and wearing the Faraday suit Kidd was able to control the electricity with her fingertips and shoot streams of lightning from her hands.
The moment was captured by cameras and the ‘lightning’ was then combined with futuristic-looking shots for the launch of Kia’s new six- or seven-seat EV.
“Being electrocuted was one of the most petrifying things I’ve ever done, but also such an amazing experience,” the model said.
“Not many people can say they have had a million volts through their body and been able to shoot lightning with their fingers.”
Kidd said as a parent she understood exactly how important the environment is to the next generation.
“I have had many conversations with my son Indio about what we can do to live more sustainably, including buying an electric car.
“This stunt was all about celebrating electricity and how the future of motoring is electric, for the launch of Kia’s new fully electric car, the EV9.
“With a range of more than 300 miles (482.8 km), ultra-rapid charging, and the ability to power anything with a three-pin plug, its perfect for family adventures.
“You can even use it to boil a kettle and stop for a nice cup of tea,” she said.
Described as a ‘game changer’, Kia’s new fully-electric EV9 SUV boasts up to seven-seats in a three-row format with huge cabin and luggage space.
Created with the environment in mind, it has a leather-free cabin with many elements created from recycled PET plastic, made from items such as fishing nets and plastic bottles.
EV9 supports ultra-rapid charging and has a range of up to more than 483km from a single charge, with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology that allows it to power almost anything with a 3-pin plug.
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