Kia says that each of its Purpose Built Vehicles will feature over-the-air (OTA) functionality to update the vehicle's software in real-time. This will provide benefits for the total cost of ownership and ease of use, according to Kia. The automaker expects PBVs to offer "a revolutionary new means of transportation that further enrich society and communities around the globe," especially when combined with self-driving tech. Last month, Kia unveiled the all-electric Niro Plus PBV in Korea as a modified version of the production model targeting taxi operators and ride-hailing companies.

The EV and battery manufacturing plant will be located on a dedicated 2,923-acre site in Bryan County Georgia, with immediate access to I-95 and I-16 highways which creates easy access to 250 major metro areas. It is less than 50 kilometers from the Port of Savannah, the single-largest and fastest-growing container terminal in the U.S. with two Class I rail facilities on-site provided by Georgia Central Railway. West Point, Georgia is already home to the Group’s Kia manufacturing hub in the US. Hyundai Motor Group selected Georgia as the Group’s EV and battery production site due to a range of favorable business conditions, including speed-to-market, talented workforce, as well as existing network of the Group affiliates and suppliers.

Hyundai expects production at the 2,923-acre site to begin in the first half of 2025, with construction starting in early 2023. The EV factory is set to make 300,000 vehicles per year and will add around 8,100 new jobs. Hyundai doesn’t specify which EV models will be manufactured at the plant — it only hints at a “wide range” of models hitting Georgia’s assembly lines. 

The company doesn’t reveal much about its battery-building facility either, but notes it “will be established through a strategic partnership.”