Yes, they look like the boxes they came in. Click for more.
Kia has revealed its so-called Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) future strategy at a trade show in Las Vegas. Kia’s PBV business will start around the introduction of an all-new, modular vehicle, previewed by the Kia Concept PV5.
This was presented as plan with the goal of PBVs “revolutionizing the mobility industry while helping to further Hyundai Motor Group’s ambitions in robotics, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), and autonomous driving.” Basically this is a well tread marketing strategy once fueled by petrol and diesel by traditional European vehicle makers, notably the Transit van line of Ford Motor in Europe, Citroen and Renault among others, who are doing similar things with EVs. In fact, the Transit ubiquitously used by tradespeople in the UK led to the popular phrase “white van man.”
Click for more Kia PV.
“Kia’s PBV business represents our vision of going beyond the traditional concept of automobiles by fulfilling the unmet needs of diverse customers and communities through optimized vehicles and services catering to specific market and business circumstances,” said Ho Sung Song, Kia Corporation President and CEO.
Arguably, these needs are constantly being met by global automakers. Kia’s design strategy is to allow a single vehicle chassis to be used to fulfill multiple mobility needs. Behind a fixed cab, or ‘driver zone’, a variety of interchangeable upper bodies, or (marketing babble alert> ‘life modules’, can be connected to the base vehicle via a hybrid electromagnetic and mechanical coupling technology, turning the PBV into a taxi during the day, to a delivery van at night, and a personal recreational vehicle on weekends. Time and sales results will determine the outcome, of course.
The weld-less body structure assembly is designed to enable the length of moveable members to be flexibly adjusted according to vehicle use purpose. Shipped in standardized, convenient kit form, Dynamic Hybrid technology is intended to allow for the quick and simple in-field transformation of a Kia PV5.
Kia’s PBV line will be built around a dedicated business system, integrating vehicles, software, and unspecified future technologies.
The brand’s PBV roadmap, divided into three phases. In phase one, Kia plans to introduce the Kia PV5, an EV optimized for major domains such as hailing, delivery and utilities that has conversion capability for diverse customer needs. Enhanced data connectivity between vehicles and external data such as route or delivery information is intended to enable operation of multiple vehicles as a software-defined fleet.
Phase two is to see the completion of the dedicated PBV model line-up, with PBVs evolving into AI-based mobility platforms that use data to interact with users and help keep vehicles updated. An integrated PBV solution can help provide a customized, seamless experience across devices and software.
In phase three, Kia PBVs are expected to evolve into highly customizable, bespoke mobility solutions by integrating with the future mobility ecosystem.
Kia is constructing a PBV-dedicated EVO plant in Autoland Hwaseong, Korea. This factory will implement a hybrid production approach, combining conveyor and cell-based methods. Through collaboration with global conversion partners, Kia will be able to offer conversion models for various PBV line-ups, catering to different customer preferences. The factory is scheduled to become operational in 2025 and is expected to have an annual capacity of 150,000 units.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Kia Shows Modular EV and Autonomous Driving Concepts
Yes, they look like the boxes they came in. Click for more.
Kia has revealed its so-called Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) future strategy at a trade show in Las Vegas. Kia’s PBV business will start around the introduction of an all-new, modular vehicle, previewed by the Kia Concept PV5.
This was presented as plan with the goal of PBVs “revolutionizing the mobility industry while helping to further Hyundai Motor Group’s ambitions in robotics, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), and autonomous driving.” Basically this is a well tread marketing strategy once fueled by petrol and diesel by traditional European vehicle makers, notably the Transit van line of Ford Motor in Europe, Citroen and Renault among others, who are doing similar things with EVs. In fact, the Transit ubiquitously used by tradespeople in the UK led to the popular phrase “white van man.”
Click for more Kia PV.
“Kia’s PBV business represents our vision of going beyond the traditional concept of automobiles by fulfilling the unmet needs of diverse customers and communities through optimized vehicles and services catering to specific market and business circumstances,” said Ho Sung Song, Kia Corporation President and CEO.
Arguably, these needs are constantly being met by global automakers. Kia’s design strategy is to allow a single vehicle chassis to be used to fulfill multiple mobility needs. Behind a fixed cab, or ‘driver zone’, a variety of interchangeable upper bodies, or (marketing babble alert> ‘life modules’, can be connected to the base vehicle via a hybrid electromagnetic and mechanical coupling technology, turning the PBV into a taxi during the day, to a delivery van at night, and a personal recreational vehicle on weekends. Time and sales results will determine the outcome, of course.
The weld-less body structure assembly is designed to enable the length of moveable members to be flexibly adjusted according to vehicle use purpose. Shipped in standardized, convenient kit form, Dynamic Hybrid technology is intended to allow for the quick and simple in-field transformation of a Kia PV5.
Kia’s PBV line will be built around a dedicated business system, integrating vehicles, software, and unspecified future technologies.
The brand’s PBV roadmap, divided into three phases. In phase one, Kia plans to introduce the Kia PV5, an EV optimized for major domains such as hailing, delivery and utilities that has conversion capability for diverse customer needs. Enhanced data connectivity between vehicles and external data such as route or delivery information is intended to enable operation of multiple vehicles as a software-defined fleet.
Phase two is to see the completion of the dedicated PBV model line-up, with PBVs evolving into AI-based mobility platforms that use data to interact with users and help keep vehicles updated. An integrated PBV solution can help provide a customized, seamless experience across devices and software.
In phase three, Kia PBVs are expected to evolve into highly customizable, bespoke mobility solutions by integrating with the future mobility ecosystem.
Kia is constructing a PBV-dedicated EVO plant in Autoland Hwaseong, Korea. This factory will implement a hybrid production approach, combining conveyor and cell-based methods. Through collaboration with global conversion partners, Kia will be able to offer conversion models for various PBV line-ups, catering to different customer preferences. The factory is scheduled to become operational in 2025 and is expected to have an annual capacity of 150,000 units.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.