CES 2024: Kia Introduces Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) and Five Accompanying Concepts

At the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, the South Korean automaker has announced its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) future strategy – the "PBV platform offers users a blank canvas to redefine how space and mobility can adapt to their needs by providing exceptional flexibility through radical modularity." Basically, we are dealing with an all-in-one 'jack of all trades' solution, allowing extreme flexibility for future work vehicles.

For example, Kia envisions a near future where their PBV solutions are used as a work platform for a cargo hauler, a taxi, or a weekend adventurer – the only difference is that just one vehicle caters to all those needs, not three different automobiles. This new business model will be supported by the initial introduction of a modular vehicle based on the Kia Concept PV5. As such, it is no wonder the automaker rolled into CES with three variations of the foreshadowing prototype.

Even more, Kia thinks these new PBVs could help the entire Hyundai Group to advance its ambitions in robotics, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), and autonomous driving. For that reason, the PBV business will also integrate with Hyundai Motor Group's software-to-everything, or SDx, strategy. Initially, the company will launch the PBV business with the Kia PV5, an EV focused on hailing, delivery, and utilities but also equipped with high conversion capability solutions.

After that, Kia will set up an entire lineup of PBVs aimed at becoming AI-based mobility platforms, and the ultimate goal is to have them "evolve into highly customizable, bespoke mobility solutions by integrating with the future mobility ecosystem." The PV5 will become available in Basic, Van, High Roof, and Chassis Cab versions, followed by the series production variants of the concepts 'PV7' and 'PV1.' "Kia PBVs will initiate a new era of seamless everyday business and lifestyle solutions. We hope to make our customers' lives easier and better, whether they're stationary or on the move, offering exceptional flexibility and customization through radical modularization," said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design.

Kia has returned to CES following a five-year hiatus, and they wanted to make a splash, so there's also a second showcase located in the CES Central Plaza, where under the theme 'EV Life for Everyone' there's the Kia Connected Home to demonstrate the potential of EV9's upcoming vehicle-to-home (V2H) capability and the Wallbox Quasar 2 bidirectional charger. The Concept EV3 and Concept EV4 models are also on display alongside the EV6 and an interactive EV9 test drive simulator, among other stuff.