Kia and HMG Share Plans for 2022

Back in 2020, when Kia Corp was still known as Kia Motors, the automaker launched its Plan S Strategy. Kia became determined to not only make good on its claim to become the next all-electric automaker, but Kia Corp also wants to be a leading name in the electric vehicle (EV) market, with the goal of obtaining 6.6-percent of all global EV sales. With two large goals within the next few years, with 25-percent of all sales coming from eco-friendly vehicles by 2025, and selling 500,000 EVs worldwide and 1 million eco-friendly vehicles by 2026, the automaker is already ramping up 2022 for the next step to meet these goals and more. Plan S is about a lot more than just battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).

“This year, we plan to introduce an array of smart solutions for industries that are core to our future strategy, such as autonomous driving, robotics and urban air mobility, thereby realizing the myriad possibilities in the lives of our customers…Despite recent difficulties and the uncertainties about some of the new challenges that lie ahead, let’s make bold moves with positive energy, realizing the better future for our customers and humanity.” – Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung

For those unaware, the Hyundai Motor Group is the parent company that Kia Corp is a part of. Any tech Hyundai develops, Kia gets, and although we do highlight all the work Kia does in-house, much of the ground-breaking tech lately is thanks to Hyundai. Most notably the Kia EV6 , built on the dedicated BEV Platform, called the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), built by the Hyundai Motor Group, henceforth referred to as “the Group” for the remainder of the article. In conjunction with Kia and in-house development, the Group’s 2022 New Year address took place in the ‘HMG Park’ metaverse platform where Chung presented many upcoming plans, as well as doubling down on the Group’s position as a leading eco-friendly enterprise.

Autonomous Driving and Robotics

No, the self-driving car craze isn’t dead, it just took a back seat as the auto industry scrambled to make EVs, BEVs, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) the new objective. The Group and Kia Corp already have a leg up on many players in the industry when it comes to eco-friendly and electric options, and that means more time to work on things like Level 4 autonomous driving technology. The new IONIQ 5-based autonomous pilot vehicle is set for commercial release by 2023, but the Group will have to get past the NHTSA to sell self-driving vehicles to consumers. There should be plenty of data to collect over the next few months, with the Group launching its “RoboRide” pilot service that also uses Level 4 autonomous vehicle tech, and the debut of RoboShuttle, an autonomous driving mobility service joining Hyundai’s already in-place “Shucle”. When it comes to robotics, this won’t just be in terms of autonomous driving services. The Group will also start commercialization of its service robot “Spot” and logistics robot “Stretch”.

UAM

Still working on personal aircrafts, the new Supernal brand has already taken the helm. Now air taxi ride-hailing service may still be years, maybe even a decade off – the Group claims it will commercialize its UAM business by 2028. However, Supernal won’t just work on mobility solutions to revolutionize air travel. There is also a focus on seamlessly integrated intermodal mobility solutions for everyday people. As we mentioned, the Plan S Strategy wasn’t just about EVs – purpose-built vehicles (PBVs) were another large objective of Kia and the Group. A PBV isn’t just a vehicle, it’s a mobile machine that is built for one purpose in mind, or many. The first PBV by the Group will be released in 2022, but entire hubs are the long-term goal. Excited to see what happens next? So are we. Learn more about the upcoming plans for the Group and Kia when you follow us on Miami Lakes Kia social media .

Photo Source/Copyright: Kia

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