South Korean autonomous driving firm Autonomous A2Z said it signed a partnership with Kia Motors in July to produce Level-4 autonomous vehicles, with the first units scheduled to debut at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju.
The project will be based on Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) lineup, a customized mobility solution that began mass production in July at the automaker’s Hwaseong plant. Autonomous A2Z will convert Kia’s PV5 model into a fully autonomous version as part of the collaboration.
Under the agreement, Autonomous A2Z will roll out 10 different Level-4 autonomous models in Gyeongju from late August through the end of the year, depending on road readiness. The fleet will include two PV5-based vehicles, the company’s self-developed driverless model “Roy,” and a converted bus.
Autonomous A2Z has been selected as the official operator of autonomous vehicles for the 2025 APEC Summit, where the PV5-based vehicles will be unveiled. Industry observers view the partnership with Kia as part of a broader effort to strengthen South Korea’s presence in the global autonomous driving market.