The Emil Frey Group will be the Official Car Partner of the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in Zurich, with the car brand Kia, which it distributes in Switzerland. The cooperation with the traditional Swiss company, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024 and has an impressive historical connection to the bicycle, also includes electric cars.

The support teams for the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships Zurich will be travelling in cars manufactured by the South Korean brand Kia. The Emil Frey Group, which represents Kia in Switzerland as the official importer, and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Zurich 2024 have agreed on a comprehensive partnership for this purpose.

Over 150 vehicles in use for 9 days – one third electric cars

The fleet provided by the Emil Frey Group for the UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in Zurich will comprise over 150 cars. Various models will be used, including 80 Kia Sportage and 55 Kia EV6 and Kia EV9 electric vehicles, which corresponds to a third of the support vehicles used. LOC Zurich 2024 is thus exceeding its self-imposed sustainability target of 25% electric vehicles in the UCI World Championships fleet. The cooperation also includes various cars and commercial vehicles provided by Hertz Switzerland, a franchise company within the Emil Frey Group.

Lorenz Frey-Hilti, member of the Emil Frey Group Executive Board, welcomed the intensive collaboration with LOC Zurich 2024 in the coming weeks. “My grandfather opened a bicycle and motorbike workshop in Zurich as a mechanic on 1 October 1924. 100 years later, we are delighted to be able to support the 2024 UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships in Zurich with individual mobility. The presence that we are receiving as part of this co-operation ideally complements our anniversary activities to mark 100 years of Emil Frey. Our family-owned company is looking forward to impressive sport from the world’s best cyclists, who will be accompanied by Kia vehicles with the latest technology against the backdrop of the host region of Zurich.”

“The Official Car Partner is a very important cooperation for a UCI World Championships. It ensures a diverse fleet customised for the races with professional drivers at the wheel. We are delighted to be able to count on Emil Frey, a company that is Zurich-based and steeped in tradition, for this essential element of our major event. We would like to thank Mr Walter Frey, Lorenz Frey-Hilti and the participating companies of the Emil Frey Group for their great commitment,” said Ina Bauspiess, Head of Sponsoring, and Daniel Rupf, Managing Director, on behalf of the entire LOC Zurich 2024.

What almost nobody knows: Emil Frey and the bicycle have a historical connection. Emil Frey began his impressive career as a bicycle mechanic in what is now the building of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung on Sechseläutenplatz.

On 1 October 1924, Emil Frey opened his first own workshop at Schwingerstrasse 3 in Zurich. During the Second World War, he adapted to the new circumstances. He manufactured bicycles and electrically powered radiators himself and sold them successfully.

As coincidence would have it, Emil Frey’s first place of work in Zurich is located directly in the main fan zone of the UCI Road and Para-cycling Road World Championships. A “Recognition Spot” will draw visitors’ attention to the little-known connection between the automobile company and the bicycle, which helped the entrepreneur and mechanic Emil Frey overcome difficult times and ensured the successful development of the company into what it is today.

About the Emil Frey Group (https://www.emilfrey.ch/)

The Emil Frey Group is a family business with a long tradition. Emil Frey opened his first workshop in Zurich in 1924. With diligence and skill, the trained mechanic quickly earned a first-class reputation – as a specialist with prompt and conscientious service. He also broke new ground: The young garage owner successfully competed in motorbike races, not only because of his sporting spirit, but also to prove the quality of his products.

In 1969, Emil Frey officially handed over the management of the company to his son Walter. On this solid basis, Walter Frey continues to expand in Switzerland and in several European countries to this day. Despite its internationalisation, the Emil Frey Group has remained a classic family business, in which the principles of the founder are still anchored in the culture. With over 25,000 employees and almost 2,000 apprentices, the company imports and distributes numerous renowned car brands. The group also includes various mobility-related service companies.