Kia is collaborating with 42dot and Geotab to develop a ‘PBV Fleet Management System (FMS).’
Recently, Kia announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of the PBV Fleet Management System at Geotab’s headquarters in Canada. Key figures in attendance included Sang-dae Kim, Executive Vice President of Kia’s PBV Division, and Louis De Jong, Chief Revenue Officer of Geotab.
42dot serves as the global software center for Hyundai Motor Group, responsible for developing core software for vehicles in the group. Geotab is a leading provider of connected vehicle technology, offering high-quality services in 160 countries, powered by its exceptional software capabilities.
This agreement aims to combine the strengths of the three companies to develop a ‘Fleet Management System (FMS)’ that offers optimized PBV solutions to end-users.
The FMS is software that supports vehicle operation and management. It is primarily used by businesses operating multiple vehicles, such as rental car and logistics companies; however, separate devices are typically required to collect vehicle information data.
Through this agreement, the three companies plan to develop the FMS based on a cloud server that allows real-time vehicle management without needing separate devices. They aim to apply this system to Kia’s first dedicated PBV, the ‘PV5,’ which is scheduled for production in 2025.
In addition, they will also develop an application for drivers that analyzes and utilizes vehicle information data to suggest optimal driving routes and safe driving practices, which will be applied as a standard feature in Kia’s PBV displays.
Kia expects that this collaboration with 42dot and Geotab will allow the company to provide total mobility solutions optimized for individual customers’ business environments and contribute to the ‘Platform Beyond Vehicle’ strategy by leveraging excellent vehicle information data utilization capabilities and software development competitiveness.
Sang-dae Kim, Executive Vice President of Kia’s PBV Division, expressed, “We anticipate that our collaboration with 42dot and Geotab will drive strategic growth for Kia’s PBV business. Starting with the introduction of a dedicated PBV model featuring FMS next year, we will continue our efforts to become a ‘customized mobility solution provider’ in collaboration with various partners.”
Seung-seok Lim, Head of AEV Platform Engineering at 42dot, stated, “Through this collaboration, we will develop an FMS that can meet both current and future challenges in the global mobility industry by combining 42dot’s vehicle data platform with intelligent vehicle safety technology. We will continue to support our customers in maintaining and enhancing their competitive edge.”
Louis De Jong, Chief Revenue Officer of Geotab, remarked, “By combining Geotab’s data and AI capabilities, Kia’s automotive expertise, and 42dot’s data specialization, we will provide customers with high-level data insights. This collaboration will serve as an opportunity for overall advancement in the global mobility industry.”
In the meantime, at this year’s CES 2024 Media Day, Kia presented ‘PBV’ as a key future business that will drive innovation in transportation, stating plans to lead the future mobility market with differentiated PBVs.
Jin Sang Lee daedusj@autodiary.kr