Kia will enter the commercial vehicle market with its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy

A new edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has kicked off, the meeting place where technology-focused brands gather to showcase the new technologies that are preparing us for the future. Among them there are also more and more vehicle brands, as it is an ideal showcase for what they will bring us in the near future.

Among them is Kia. The Korean brand is present in Las Vegas, where it has unveiled its future strategy Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV), which in a first stage will focus on the introduction of a completely new modular vehicle that will take shape in the Kia Concept PV5, while the future phases of this project aim to revolutionize the mobility industry and also help drive the goals of Hyundai Motor Group in robotics, advanced air mobility (AAM) and autonomous driving.

What Kia intends with the launch of Platform Beyond Vehicle, which from now on we will refer to as PBV, is to offer a varied range of customized vehicles to meet the individual needs of each customer, focusing on the latter thanks to a specific business system that will integrate vehicles, software and future technologies to deliver added value.

PBV is structured as a three-phase development

The plan that Kia has for PBV is divided into three phases, the first of which, as we mentioned earlier, is the launch of the Kia Concept PV5, an electric vehicle designed for ride-hailing, delivery fleets and public services, with conversion capability depending on customer needs thanks to the Basic, Van High Roof, and Chassis Cab versions in which it will be available, including a Robotaxi.

One of the great selling points of the PV5 is that it will use the Easy Swap technology, that is, the conversion capability I mentioned earlier. This means that with a single chassis featuring a fixed driver’s cabin, various interchangeable upper modules can be connected, thanks to the hybrid electromagnetic and mechanical coupling technology, so the PBV can be a taxi during the day, a delivery van at night or a personal vehicle on weekends.

In the second phase, the PBV family will grow first with the PV7, the largest model in the range with more space, range and functionality and, second, with the PV1, which is the complete opposite: the smallest model, intended for agile, short-distance logistics transport in large cities. This second phase also brings into play greater modularity for PBVs with the introduction of a rail system integrated into the roof, floor and sides of the vehicle, which will allow the movement of goods and fluids between vehicles, thus achieving greater efficiency and time management.

During the third and final phase, we are already talking about the very long term, where smart cities and autonomous vehicles come into play. In this phase, the PBVs of Kia will have already become connected autonomous platforms capable of being managed as part of a single smart city operating system. In this way, a PBV ecosystem will have been created based on the future technologies of Hyundai Motor Group for autonomous driving and advanced air mobility, robotics and energy grid.