Kia recently unveiled the Niro Plus, a larger version of the first generation Niro that can be used as a taxi or ride hailing commercial vehicle. Now Kia has teased new electric vans that it’s working on as the brand pushes forward with its goal to become a sustainable mobility provider.
Kia will build the new electric Purpose Built Vehicles (PBVs) at a new production hub at its existing Hwaseong plant in Korea. Construction of the new hub will begin in 2023 and production of the EVs will start in the second half of 2025. The plant will initially be able to build 100,000 PBVs a year with the capacity to increase production to 150,000 units annually.
“This dedicated PBV facility is one of the major pillars of our Plan S strategy as Kia seeks to claim the top position in the global PBV market,” said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of Kia Corporation. “We will initially explore new markets with derivative PBV models, then gradually expand our presence in global markets with dedicated PBV models featuring autonomous driving technologies.”
