Kia joins forces with Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City to create a future mobility industry ecosystem.
On the 6th, Kia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a future mobility industry ecosystem based on PBV at AutoLand Hwaseong, with key officials including President Song Ho-sung, President Choi Joon-young, Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, and Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun in attendance.
Kia's goal to realize the vision of "a platform beyond vehicle" was united with the intentions of Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City to transform into a future mobility innovation city through the use of PBV.
Through this agreement, Kia plans to proceed as scheduled with the construction of the Hwaseong EVO Plant, the world's first dedicated PBV factory, while Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City plan to actively support various related permits and infrastructure improvements. Additionally, Kia, Gyeonggi Province, and Hwaseong City will cooperate closely to discover national public project initiatives and related new business models necessary for revitalizing the mobility industry, and will jointly work on developing PBV mobility services to enhance transportation convenience in the region.
Kia plans to review ways to introduce and operate PBV-based WAV (wheelchair accessible vehicle) and DRT (demand responsive transport) models in Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City. They will continue multifaceted cooperation to establish sustainable energy environments, including the creation of V2G (vehicle-to-grid) charging infrastructure. With this agreement, Kia expects to actively secure future mobility competitiveness and successfully establish a PBV ecosystem.
Kia President Song Ho-sung said, "This strategic collaboration will lay the groundwork for developing and expanding customized PBV mobility solutions," adding, "Based on Kia's innovative technology, we will contribute to Gyeonggi Province and Hwaseong City becoming a hub of the future mobility industry."
Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon said, "I will actively support new challenges for corporations in Gyeonggi Province, the land of trust that is the center of South Korea's economy and future advanced industries, to proceed without obstacles."
Hwaseong City Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun said, "With this agreement, we will provide active administrative support so that corporations and local governments can collaborate and Hwaseong City can leap forward as a core hub of the future vehicle industry, leading the innovation of the eco-friendly future mobility industry."
Kia plans to unveil the first dedicated PBV, PV5, equipped with a customized vehicle structure and various advanced technologies based on the dedicated platform E-GMP.S this year.
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