Kia’s strongest’Apple Car’ partner pays attention to its mobility business

[이데일리 손의연 기자] As Kia is promisingly mentioned as a co-development partner of Apple’s’Apple Car’ in the US, interest in the mobility business promoted by Kia is high.

Kia’s new logo (Photo = Kia)

According to the industry on the 20th, Kia introduced a new brand orientation and mid-to-long-term strategy Plan S on the 15th, establishing a leading position in the future mobility industry through businesses such as △electric vehicle △mobility solution △mobility service △purpose-based vehicle (PBV). He said he would occupy it.

Kia has previously announced a plan to focus on product enhancement of purpose-based vehicles to preoccupy the market by securing key customers.

Kia plans to develop and supply purpose-based vehicles exclusively for target customers, such as vehicles for exclusive use of vehicle sharing services, low-floor logistics vehicles that can be easily loaded and unloaded, and vehicles that deliver fresh food with a refrigeration and cooling system. Purpose-based vehicles can also be used as a way to travel between designated sections to help passengers move using UAM (city center air mobility), which is Hyundai’s flagship business in the future.

The industry predicts that the demand for purpose-based vehicles will continue to increase due to the rapid growth of e-commerce and car sharing services. It is expected to account for about 25% by 2030 as corporate customers such as transportation, logistics, and distribution, which account for about 5% of global industrial demand, expand e-commerce and vehicle sharing.

In the case of purpose-based vehicles used for specific purposes, it is important to secure price competitiveness, so active external cooperation is required.

Cooperation with Apple is expected to create synergies in the purpose-based vehicle business. Based on its IT competitiveness, Apple is evaluated as having the world’s best autonomous driving technology.

“All global automakers are going toward the concept of completing a future mobility platform,” said Pilsoo Kim, a professor at Daelim University’s automobile department. “If Kia collaborates with Apple, Kia It is expected that we will be able to create a business model that is differentiated from Hyundai Motors by creating a unique color.”