Kia Plans Huge Production Volumes of PBV Vehicles, Opens Production Hub

Kia has been excited about its PBV commercial electric vehicles for a while now, but you know the old phrase — “put your money where your mouth is.” Well, that is exactly what Kia is doing.

The company is investing KRW 4 trillion ($2.74 billion) into a ~297,000 square-meter production site for the PBV that will have an annual production capacity of 250,000 vehicles. At EVO Plant East, Kia will be able to produce 100,000 PV5 vehicles a year, and at EVO Plant West, it will be able to produce 150,000 PV7 as well as some other PBV models.

This will be the production hub for global PBV demand.

Construction of EVO Plant East was completed today, and construction of EVO Plant West commenced.

“Kia is leveraging the electrification of light commercial vehicles as a key opportunity to position PBVs as a core future business,” Ho Sung Song, Kia President and Global CEO, commented. “As we continue our journey toward sustainable future mobility, Kia remains committed to becoming a trusted partner in building a better future for Korea — and for humanity as a whole.”

Here’s more on the new production facility center from Kia:

“The name ‘EVO Plant’ combines ‘Evolution’ and ‘Plant’, reflecting Kia’s commitment to pursuing evolution and innovation, and its ambition to become a brand that leads the new mobility environment.

“Hwaseong EVO Plant applies a wide range of future-oriented manufacturing technologies and is designed to minimize carbon footprint. The facility emphasizes automation, sustainability, and a human-centric environment, with each process integrating features that reflect these priorities.

“The EVO Plant will also apply Hyundai Motor and Kia’s E-FOREST smart factory brand to enable real-time operation and quality control.

“In the body shop, a smart logistics system has been implemented through the integration of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and other advanced technologies.

“The paint shop operates dry booths that reduce the impact of controlled substances, making the EVO Plant a low-carbon sustainable facility.

“In the final assembly shop, Kia has created a human-centric environment based on advanced automation technologies. The facility will feature specification guidance monitors to prevent operational issues, automation of labor-intensive processes, such as heavy component installation, and low-noise equipment, contributing to a human-centric environment.

“Additionally, a flexible production process has been adopted by combining Kia’s mass-production conveyor system with a cell-based production process, which enables simultaneous manufacturing of different mobility types.

[…]

“The newly completed EVO Plant East is a dedicated PBV facility built on a 98,433 square-meter site, with an annual production capacity of 100,000 units for Kia’s PV5 mid-size PBV, including the Passenger, Cargo, Chassis Cab, and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) models.

“EVO Plant West will be built on a 136,671 square-meter site, securing an annual production capacity of 150,000 units for Kia’s upcoming large-size PBV models, including the PV7. Once both EVO Plant East and West are fully operational, Kia will establish a full PBV lineup with an annual capacity of 250,000 units.”

Big plans, big PBV growth on the horizon.

Beyond all of that, Kia has also built a “PBV Conversion Center.” It will produce specialized PBV models there for special clients. Customized versions of the PV5 include open-bed trucks, box vans, and camping vehicles.

To support Kia’s vehicle production with as little dirty energy as possible, the company is also going to help fund a “50 MW solar power generation facility within AutoLand Hwaseong.”