Kia(000270) said on the 16th that it signed a business agreement with Kakao Mobility to develop a purpose-built vehicle (PBV) dedicated to Autonomous Driving services.
The agreement was made to combine Kia's PBV development capabilities with Kakao Mobility's Autonomous Driving technology competitiveness to expand a PBV-based Autonomous Driving ecosystem.
Based on the agreement, the two companies plan to cooperate in areas such as developing and supplying PBVs dedicated to Autonomous Driving services and jointly developing and demonstrating service operation technologies.
This year, Kia will supply the PV5 equipped with a Devkit (a device that supports interface integration between external vehicle control software and the vehicle) to operate Kakao Mobility's Autonomous Driving pilot project.
Based on the pilot project's results and business plan, they will gradually add supplies of mass-production PBVs, and they plan to develop a PBV dedicated to Autonomous Driving optimized for commercial services using driving data accumulated through the pilot project.
In addition, to improve the stability and operational efficiency of Autonomous Driving services, they plan to jointly develop and validate various technologies, including remote driving (RVA) within depots, wireless charging, and internal and external displays for unmanned communication.
The signing ceremony was held that day at Kia's headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seocho, Seoul. Attendees included Vice President Kim Sang-dae, head of Kia's PBV Business Division; Vice President Yu Ji-han, head of the SDV Platform; Vice President Kim Jin-gyu, head of Kakao Mobility's Physical AI division; and Vice President An Gyu-jin, head of Kakao Mobility's business division.
Vice President Kim Sang-dae said, "We look forward to Kia PBVs contributing to the activation of the Autonomous Driving market and the creation of new customer value through cooperation with Kakao Mobility," adding, "We will continue to lead the future mobility market as a customized mobility solution provider by collaborating with various partner companies."