Kia to build purpose-built vehicle plant in S. Korea

Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, said Friday it will build a purpose-built vehicle (PBV) plant in one of its domestic plants, as it strives to become a future mobility solutions provider.

Kia plans to complete the PBV plant by the end of 2024 and start operations in 2025, according to media reports.

"A building in (the company's) Hwaseong plant will be converted into a PBV plant. The timeframe for the plant's construction and production in Hwaseong has yet to be decided," a company spokesman said.

Kia said on 2022 CEO Investor Day earlier this month that it will launch PBVs based on the 1-liter Ray mini car and the Niro hybrid model this year.

The Niro Plus PBV will be used for electric taxi services in the domestic market and for car hailing services in overseas markets, the company said.

Kia has eight domestic plants in Korea and seven overseas ones -- three in China and one each in the United States, Slovakia, Mexico and India. Their overall capacity is 3.84 million units. (Yonhap)