Hyundai Motor, Kia to showcase next-generation mobility plans at CES 2024

42dot autonomous bus [Courtesy of Hyundai Motor]

South Korea’s top automaker Hyundai Motor Co. will unveil a new vision for software-defined vehicles (SDVs) at Consumer Electronics Show 2024, the world’s largest consumer electronics and information technology (IT) show to be held in Las Vegas, U.S., in January, while its smaller sibling will premiere a next-generation purpose-built vehicle (PBV).

According to multiple industry sources on Thursday, Hyundai Motor and Kia are in the final stages of discussing the concepts for their CES 2024 exhibits ahead of a management briefing.

Hyundai Motor is planning to unveil a further refined version of its SDV strategy at next year’s CES. SDV refers to a technology that evolves around software, much like smartphones, which are constantly updated to stay current and perform optimally.

The company’s SDV strategy, when put to practice, will not only increase consumer convenience, but also significantly shorten the process of car mass production, spanning from planning to design and manufacturing, as vehicles will have an integrated hardware and software platform.

It will also make vehicle development more efficient and reduce manufacturing costs by more than 20 percent. SDV is a key technology that is being focused on by global automakers as it determines the competitiveness of future vehicles.

42dot Inc., which currently leads SDV transition within Hyundai Motor Group, is expected to play a key role at the CES.

The company was founded by Song Chang-hyun, former chief technology officer of Korean platform giant Naver Corp., before it was acquired by Hyundai Motor Group in 2022. Song is highly likely to announce the new vision for SDV.

As Hyundai Motor Group is expected to convert all of its vehicles to SDVs by 2025, a fairly concrete business plan may be presented.

Kia, in the meantime, is expected to be the world’s first car manufacturer to showcase a PBV at CES 2024. Kia President and Chief Executive Officer Song Ho-sung will step up to make the announcement at the event. Kia will be the first multinational automaker other than a startup to unveil a PBV.

PBVs are electrified, modular mobility vehicles that are designed and engineered to suit individual purpose and use. The idea is to create customized cars for different age groups, lifestyles, and uses.

The first PBV concept car that Kia will unveil at CES 2024 will be a delivery vehicle, according to sources.

Last year, the company partnered with Coupang Inc. to develop a PBV optimized for the logistics, distribution, and delivery market.

Kia is expected to showcase how its delivery PBVs will be utilized in the real world. It aims to launch its first dedicated PBV model in 2025 and rise to the top in the global market by 2030.

Hyundai and Kia did not attend this year’s CES held in January. Instead, they are known to have flown a chartered plane with more than 200 selected employees to Las Vegas to prepare for CES 2024.