Kia Holds 12th Skill World Cup To Identify Top Global Mobility Technicians
Kia concluded its 12th Skill World Cup, a global competition for service technicians, with 42 participants from 40 countries.
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What Happened
The 12th Kia Skill World Cup was held from May 19 to 21, 2026, at Sofitel Ambassador Seoul and Kia Osan Training Center in Yongin, Korea. First launched in 2002, the biennial event tests technicians on service theory, vehicle diagnostics, and component analysis. This year, the competition added new evaluation criteria for electric vehicles and expanded the range of vehicle models used in practical tests.
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Gold Award winner Tom Sharples from the United Kingdom.
- Gold: Tom Sharples (United Kingdom) - $5,000
- Silver: Guo Wenlei (China) and Aaron Addison (United States) - $3,000 each
- Bronze: Jorian van Harten (Netherlands), Max Umbs (US), Maciej Podlecki (Poland) - $2,000 each
- Excellence Awards: Six participants - $500 each
Why this matters
The competition ensures Kia's service network is prepared for the shift to electrified vehicles by testing technicians on real-world diagnostics and EV-related skills, aiming to maintain high customer service standards worldwide.
Terms in This Story
- Biennially
- Occurring every two years.
- Electrification
- The process of powering vehicles by electricity instead of fossil fuels.
- Service network
- The system of authorized dealerships and service centers that maintain vehicles.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.