This file photo provided by Kia Corp. shows the PV5 purpose-built vehicle. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Kia Corp., South Korea’s second-largest carmaker, said Monday it will test its purpose-built vehicle (PBV), the PV5, in Riyadh for potential adoption in a local resort town.
Kia has partnered with Red Sea Global (RSG), one of the developers of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Giga Project, which aims to diversify the economy beyond oil and foster new growth drivers. Under the partnership, Kia will provide customized mobility solutions for RSG’s tourism business, the company said in a press release.
The partnership follows Kia’s signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with RSG in March last year to supply eco-friendly future mobility solutions to RSG’s business sites.
RSG is developing eco-friendly resorts and wellness tourism complexes near the Red Sea and along Saudi Arabia’s west coast, in line with the state-led Giga project that also includes Neom, the futuristic smart city under construction in the country’s northwest.
The PV5 will be tested at RSG’s resort facilities and at Red Sea International Airport. Based on the results, Kia plans to develop an optimized PV5 cargo model and other variants for use at the resorts, it said.
Kia also said it is considering deploying its flagship PBV, the PV7, which is scheduled to launch in 2027, at RSG’s resorts.
“In the mid- to long-term, Kia plans to introduce innovative smart city technologies, such as autonomous driving and robotics, across areas being developed by RSG,” the release said.
(Yonhap)
