Kia has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with KT and SUM to commercialise PV5 purpose-built vehicle (PBV) remote driving services, with a commercial launch targeted before the end of 2026. The agreement follows Kia’s first public-road remote driving demonstration in South Korea last November.

Remote driving allows driverless vehicles to be controlled from an external centre via 4G or 5G networks, providing operational support when autonomous vehicles encounter faults or need repositioning. Applications include home vehicle dispatch and mobile unmanned services such as stores or libraries, making the technology well-suited to local government and public-sector deployment.

Under the MOU, Kia covers vehicle and technology development, KT telecoms infrastructure and network quality, and SUM remote driving control systems. The parties will also cooperate on service promotion, business model expansion, and legislative and regulatory frameworks.

Operational data will inform advances in autonomous driving technology, tracing a roadmap from remote to fully unmanned operation. Kang Joo-yeop, Senior Vice President of New Business Planning at Kia, said the MOU would establish commercial foundations and build an unmanned vehicle ecosystem through Kia PBVs.

Kia expects the MOU to accelerate driverless mobility services in South Korea. It also sees the agreement as a foundation for standardising the domestic autonomous driving industry and shaping regulatory policy.

Source: Hyundai