Kia has held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new plant, dedicated to the production of battery-electric purpose-built vehicles (PBV).
The firm plans to secure more than 44,000ha of land, from which mass-production is planned to start come the second half of 2025. Production from the plant is scheduled to hit 150,000 units in the first year. Kia announced at its CEO Investor Day 2023 that it intends to gradually expand its PBV lineup to include a PBV robotaxi with autonomous driving, a small PBV optimised for delivering goods or food, and a large PBV that can replace public transportation or be used as a mobile office.
The new site will also adopt new manufacturing processes, one of which is described as the 'cellular method', which will group together machines or workstations that are used to produce similar products or parts. This layout, Kia states, will create a more efficient and flexible manufacturing process by reducing the distance that materials and products need to travel during production.
In addition, the PBV plant will also be built as a low-carbon factory by operating a dry booth, described as a nature-friendly construction method during the painting process of vehicle manufacturing. It will also reduce carbon emissions by about 20% compared to existing factories by utilising natural light and streamlining the manufacturing process.
The firm plans to secure more than 44,000ha of land, from which mass-production is planned to start come the second half of 2025. Production from the plant is scheduled to hit 150,000 units in the first year. Kia announced at its CEO Investor Day 2023 that it intends to gradually expand its PBV lineup to include a PBV robotaxi with autonomous driving, a small PBV optimised for delivering goods or food, and a large PBV that can replace public transportation or be used as a mobile office.
The new site will also adopt new manufacturing processes, one of which is described as the 'cellular method', which will group together machines or workstations that are used to produce similar products or parts. This layout, Kia states, will create a more efficient and flexible manufacturing process by reducing the distance that materials and products need to travel during production.
In addition, the PBV plant will also be built as a low-carbon factory by operating a dry booth, described as a nature-friendly construction method during the painting process of vehicle manufacturing. It will also reduce carbon emissions by about 20% compared to existing factories by utilising natural light and streamlining the manufacturing process.
