The launch of Kia’s PBV business will see the brand commit to providing a varied range of customized vehicle types to meet customers’ individual requirements. Determined to overcome existing restrictive and one-dimensional industry product line-up offerings, Kia believes its new approach to PBVs can help solve various mobility challenges encountered by individuals and organizations with limited transportation options.

Kia’s PBV offering will be built around a dedicated business system, integrating vehicles, software, and future technologies to deliver added value.

The brand's PBV roadmap, divided into three distinct phases, illustrates how Kia PBVs will be pivotal in realizing the Group’s SDx vision as devices that offer tailored solutions according to customer usage patterns.

In phase one, Kia plans to introduce the Kia PV5, a versatile EV optimized for major domains such as hailing, delivery and utilities that features conversion capability for diverse customer needs. Enhanced data connectivity between vehicles and external data such as route or delivery information is intended to enable convenient operation of multiple vehicles as a software-defined fleet.

The plan for 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.

Designed to make users’ lives easier

Utilizing technology to flexibly address the diverse demands of customers, the design strategy is to enable 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 ‘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.

The weldless 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.

The design of Kia’s PBVs is inspired by robust, simple and clever tools and goes beyond mere aesthetics. Kia’s mission is to design PBVs that are simple and intuitive to operate and engage with, regardless of where, when or how they are used.

Whether the purpose of the vehicle is to transport people, move goods, or meet logistics or personal mobility needs, Kia’s goal is to ensure each PBV shares a consistent quality of design that reflects its solid, robust nature and projects a dependable and highly capable attitude.

A combination of a simple yet robust surface language combined with expressive graphics seamlessly unifies the four Concept PV5 models, despite their diverse natures. On each vehicle, large doors open out to reveal an exceptionally accommodating pillarless opening that provides easy ingress and egress. Inside, the extended wheelbase and electric platform ensure wide, flat open spaces to offer stowage and usage possibilities.

Inspiration becomes reality

Kia plans to create an ecosystem that fosters interaction between PBVs. With extensive modularity — including the ability to share features across all vehicles — Kia hopes its PBVs will enhance versatility, opening up possibilities to cater to the needs of both businesses and individuals.