Autonomous A2G, Kia PBV-based Level 4 Autonomous Vehicle Production

[Financial News] Global autonomous driving startup Autonomous A2G is partnering with Kia to produce Level 4 autonomous vehicles. The vehicles will be showcased for the first time at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju this October.
Autonomous A2G announced on the 21st that it has signed a vehicle supply partnership with Kia. Through this collaboration, Kia's first purpose-built vehicle (PBV) model, PV5, will be converted into a Level 4 autonomous vehicle. Kia PBV is a customized transportation solution designed to meet customer demand, with mass production having started at the Hwaseong plant since last July.
Autonomous A2G will produce PV5-based autonomous vehicles leveraging its experience in operating 55 autonomous vehicles and its technology ranked 11th globally by market research firm Guidehouse. These vehicles will be deployed in domestic and international projects after government certification.
The autonomous vehicles produced through this partnership will be demonstrated at the APEC summit. Autonomous A2G has been selected as the official autonomous vehicle operator for APEC and will operate 10 different models of autonomous vehicles in the Gyeongju area from the end of August until the end of the year. Among them, there will be 2 PV5-based vehicles, as well as the self-developed vehicle ROii without a driver's seat and a modified bus.
Han Ji-hyeong, CEO of Autonomous A2G, said, “The commercialization of autonomous vehicles is shifting from competition among individual companies to cooperation within the industry ecosystem,” adding, “This collaboration marks the starting point of K-autonomous driving and a catalyst for joint entry into the global market.” He further stated, “After APEC, we plan to enter overseas markets such as Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Japan, and expand collaboration with Kia's subsequent PBV models.”
Kim Sang-dae, Vice President of Kia's PBV Business Division, emphasized, “Kia's PBV is not just hardware but an innovative platform combining solutions and future technologies,” adding, “The collaboration with A2G will be an example of PBV expanding into external ecosystems to provide new value to customers.”

jimnn@fnnews.com Shin Ji-min Reporter