The encyclopedia · Engineering & Operations · Technical decision · 2025–2027
Kia's EVO plant mixes conveyor lines with cells to build many van types at once
Kia's EVO plant runs conveyor lines and cell stations together, so different PBV vans build at once — 250,000 units a year by 2027.
Kia Corporation
The solution
Purpose-built vehicle (PBV) vans come in endless configurations — passenger, cargo, chassis cab, wheelchair-accessible — which a single conveyor line handles poorly.
Kia's Hwaseong EVO Plant, opened November 2025, deliberately combines the conventional conveyor system with cell production so different mobility types can be assembled at the same time, guided by smart tags and spec-guidance monitors.
The plant is the group's first PBV hub: East builds 100,000 PV5s a year; West adds 150,000 PV7 and other models by 2027, on a ~297,000 m² site with ~KRW 4 trillion invested; E-FOREST software runs real-time operations and quality control.
Why it worked
- Cell stations absorb variety without stopping the conveyor line.
- Smart tags prevent the errors that kill multi-model lines.
- Heavy-lift automation and low-noise equipment protect workers.
- One site covers a whole lineup, shrinking logistics between plants.
What can be applied
Don't pick one production paradigm: run a mass line for the high runner and cells for variety, letting the same facility serve both ends of the demand curve.
Aftermath
The West plant and a Conversion Center (open-bed trucks, box vans, campers) come online by 2027, plus a 50 MW solar array; Kia targets the hub as the base for global PBV expansion.
Sources
- 기아, 화성에 연 25만 대 생산 'EVO Plant' 구축… 미래형 PBV 허브 본격 가동
- Kia Marks Milestone with Establishment of Future PBV Production Hub in Korea
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