Kia launches mod-and-modular PBV platform with 5 EV ideas at CES 2024

Kia launches mod-and-modular PBV platform with 5 EV concepts at CES 2024

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Kia simply made its massive CES reveal, and it’s known as the Platform Past Automobile, or PBV for brief. The “PBV” isn’t only one car, although. In complete, there are 5 PBVs that have been simply revealed at CES – three variations of the Idea PV5, the Idea PV7 and the Idea PV1. All of them are electrical.

That’s an entire lot of automobiles, they usually all have their functions.The thought behind the road of PBV automobiles is to create a modular fleet of automobiles that may be modified to go well with sure wants in fast order. 

Right here’s how Kia describes it: “The design technique is to allow a single car chassis for use to meet a number of mobility wants. Behind a set cab, or ‘driver zone,’ a wide range of interchangeable higher our bodies, or ‘life modules,’ will be related to the bottom car by way of a hybrid electromagnetic and mechanical coupling know-how, turning the PBV right into a taxi in the course of the day, to a supply van at evening and a private leisure car on weekends.”

The entire PV automobiles share an identical design language that may most succinctly be described as sensible. They’re van-like however with out a lot of a entrance finish to maximise the utility behind the motive force and preserve a smaller general footprint. As for the particular use circumstances of every PBV, Kia says it envisions a manufacturing model of the Idea PV5 in 4 totally different physique types: Fundamental, Van, Excessive Roof and Chassis Cab. It even has eyes on a potential robotaxi model sooner or later by the use of a three way partnership with autonomy firm Aptiv.

In the meantime, the PV7 is designed to supply probably the most inside area, biggest driving vary and probably the most facilities/options. It has the biggest wheelbase of all of them and is the other of the PV1, which is the smallest and goes its personal means on styling. The PV1 is ostensibly a hatchback, and Kia says it’s meant for use for short-distance transportation and to be an agile instrument in small areas. 

The entire PBVs characteristic a modular rail system on the ceiling, flooring and aspect panels for straightforward customization and straightforward switch of storage methods (cupboards, cabinets and so on.) in between automobiles. Kia says that the design of those PBVs permits for straightforward transformation. The varied physique tops that go on the chassis are supposed to be obtainable in equipment kind and are designed for “fast and easy in-field transformation.”

From the pictures, Kia suggests quite a lot of totally different use circumstances. We see the vans getting used as a cell pop-up store for clothes, as a transportation system for handicapped folks and as a cushty people-mover with a lot of seats. The motive force and entrance passenger space incorporates a huge wraparound display screen, whereas the steering wheel homes its personal display screen within the middle. That wheel can flip upwards and out of the best way, and a detachable pill serves as each the infotainment display screen and a handheld system. A lounge theme emanates all through the assorted Idea PVs, making them really feel like particularly good locations to hangout in.

This entire undertaking is a bit more severe than many concepts you might even see at CES, too, as plans for a PBV-dedicated meeting plant are already underway. To be in-built Autoland Hwaseong, the manufacturing unit is predicted to be on-line in 2025 and produce as much as 150,000 automobiles per 12 months. A enterprise and monitoring system is scheduled to be launched alongside the PV automobiles that can enable for simpler fleet administration and monitoring of the automobiles somebody might need of their fleet. It’s unclear if these automobiles will ever go on sale within the U.S. at this level, however we’ll be looking out for any information over the following couple years.

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