Osegi
Automotive·1 min read

Kia to Invest 3 Trillion Won in PBV Autonomous Hub in Gwangju

Kia will invest 3 trillion won through 2029 at Autoland Gwangju and has signed an MOU to test PBV-based autonomous shuttles and remote driving with local partners.

Kia PBV electric vans parked at the Autoland Gwangju plant ahead of autonomous shuttle trials.
Image: 미래를 보는 창 - 전자신문
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Kia plans to invest 3 trillion won (about 2 trillion won is not part of the plan; the full figure is 3 trillion) in Gwangju, South Korea, to build an autonomous-driving ecosystem around its purpose-built vehicles (PBV). The carmaker signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday at Autoland Gwangju with the Gwangju-Jeonnam special city government, Chonnam National University and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST).

What will be tested

Under the agreement, the partners will run real-world trials of PBV-based technologies. These include an autonomous shuttle service, remote driving for people with limited mobility based on the PV5 WAV, and a dedicated vehicle for demand-responsive transport (DRT). Kia will also trial its Easy Swap technology, which converts a vehicle between uses such as freight and passenger transport.

Kia said it will verify and commercialize the technologies together with the participating institutions in order to widen the range of PBV services. The parties will also look for ways to cooperate on climate-change response and renewable-energy expansion.

The 3 trillion won plan

The investment runs through 2029 and is centered on Autoland Gwangju. Kia intends to build a production system based on advanced manufacturing technology, expand autonomous-driving trials and increase output of electrified vehicles.

Kia President Song Ho-sung said the agreement should speed up the development and commercialization of PBV-based mobility technology. He added that Kia aims to help Gwangju become a leading mobility hub in South Korea through a new production setup and a broader PBV business.

For the region, the deal ties a large manufacturing investment to public-road style use cases, such as accessible transport and on-demand shuttles, that local universities and research institutes can help validate.

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Tags:kiapbvautonomous drivinggwangjuautoland gwangjuinvestment

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