Home > Business > Industry

Kia completes EVO Plant East and breaks ground on EVO Plant West

Published: 14 Nov. 2025, 17:30 Updated: 16 Nov. 2025, 16:58

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, third from left, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, fourth from left, and other attendees pose for a photo before a ceremony marking the completion of Kia’s EVO Plant East and the groundbreaking of EVO Plant West in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, on Nov. 14. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Kia is bolstering its production capabilities with two purpose-built vehicle (PBV) plants in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi.

The automaker held a ceremony for the completion of EVO Plant East and the groundbreaking of EVO Plant West at Autoland Hwaseong in Ujeong-eup, Hwaseong, on Friday.

The event was attended by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok; First Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Moon Shin-hak; Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon; Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun; Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung; Kia CEO Song Ho-sung; and around 200 other officials and executives.

Kia has invested 4 trillion won ($2.75 billion) to build the two plants and a PBV conversion center on a 300,000-square-meter (74-acre) site within Autoland Hwaseong.

The East plant is now complete, while the West facility is set to open in 2027. Together, they will produce key PBV models for domestic and international markets, with a combined annual capacity of 250,000 units.

“[The rising] electrification of light commercial vehicles [LCVs] presents an opportunity [...] to position PBVs as a core part of Kia's business,” said CEO Song. “With support from government electric vehicle [EV] policies, we aim to produce 2.63 million units — 58 percent of the 4.51 million EVs we plan to supply globally from 2026 to 2030 — in Korea, thereby enhancing national industrial competitiveness.”

Kia has opened its first dedicated facility for purpose-built vehicles (PBV) in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi. The production hub has an annual capacity of 250,000 units. The company held a ceremony for the completion of EVO Plant East and the groundbreaking of EVO Plant West at Autoland Hwaseong in Ujeong-eup, Hwaseong, on Nov. 14. Pictured is an exterior view of Autoland Hwaseong. [KIA]

The EVO Plants are built on Hyundai Motor and Kia’s smart factory platform, E-Forest. Designed for digital integration and automation, E-Forest features streamlined production and quality control systems for maximum efficiency.

The body shop uses data from automated guided vehicles. The paint shop incorporates dry booths to reduce carbon and other hazardous emissions by roughly 20 percent compared to conventional methods. The assembly line combines traditional conveyors with flexible cell-based production systems that can handle multiple models simultaneously. Workplace safety and ergonomics have also been improved with smart tags, misassembly prevention monitors, automation and low-noise equipment.

The conversion center will be dedicated to making custom PBV variants. Covering 63,728 square meters, the center will develop and produce versions of the PV5 model — including open bed trucks, box vans and camper vehicles — as well as future models based on higher-end vehicles like the PV7.

“With our dedicated PBV production system and conversion center, Kia aims to foster a domestic PBV ecosystem and strengthen our competitiveness in the global LCV market,” a Kia representative said.

The company also plans to install a 50-megawatt solar power facility on approximately 347,000 square meters of idle state-owned land within Autoland Hwaseong. This project will accelerate Kia’s goal of achieving RE100, sourcing 100 percent of plant electricity from renewable energy.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY PARK YOUNG-WOO [[email protected]]