Kia Motors has revealed its plans for future mobility at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Dubbed ‘Boundless for all’, Kia has a variety of plans in the pipeline for mobility and transportation as well as a range of new technologies.
Dr. Woong-chul Yang, Vice Chairman and Head of Kia R&D Centre, said, “‘Boundless for all’ is Kia’s future vision – where everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the infinite value that future mobility will bring. This is Kia’s manifesto for its role as a mass mobility provider in the future. Consumers are bound today by the idea that a car is ‘just a vehicle’, but Kia is committed to providing a broader solution to mobility. ‘Boundless for all’ represents a future in which a vehicle can be so much more than the sum of its parts.”
Kia’s ‘ACE’ strategy is based on three main goals; A is for autonomous and the commercialisation of level 4 autonomous driving technology, C is for connected with every single model set to be a connected car by 2030, and E is for Eco/Electric with 16 new advanced powertrain vehicles scheduled to arrive by 2025.
CES 2018 will host a range of interactive exhibits from Kia which will give visitors the chance to experience a range of new technologies. A VR simulator will demonstrate the autonomous driving technology which also shows a V2X diorama highlighting the potential connectedness of cars to other vehicles and the urban environment.
As part of the plan to introduce 16 electrified vehicles by 2025, including a fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) by 2020, Kia will exhibit the Niro EV concept SUV at CES 2018. Niro is a fully-electric compact SUV with an aerodynamic body, interactive display panel in place of a grille, new ultra-slim lamp technology and enhanced safety features.
Specially featured on Niro is the new Active Pedestrian Warning System (APWS) which uses a combination of front view cameras, object recognition technology and front speakers which sound an alert when a person or cyclist is detected to increase safety. APWS works in conjunction with Niro’s new interactive lighting system as well.
The Niro EV Concept uses a next-generation electric vehicle powertrain with new production technologies soon to be seen in near-future EVs from Kia. A high-capacity 64 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack and 150kW electric motor provide power and give Niro a driving range of 383km.
HMI technologies, autonomous drive features and an in-car 5G connection will also feature at CES 2018. Kia will use a ‘Beyond Autonomous Driving’ display which uses cockpit-style experiences to demonstrate the technology.
In addition, Kia announced its plans to roll-out its car-sharing service ‘WiBLE’ starting in Europe following the success of its launch in Korea last year.
WiBLE is a service which will provide vehicles for people who need to drive somewhere but don’t want to own a car. A range of Kia cars are available including the Soul EV and Niro hybrid.
The service is accessed via a smartphone app with users paying for individual trips according to the amount of time they use the car for. Users can also use the car for one-way trips rather than having to return the car to where they got it from.
Kia will announce the locations in Europe where WiBLE will be launched later in 2018.
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