▲ Director Cha Du-won (right) is giving a presentation. (Photo: Seong Yu-chang)

Global ICT Outlook Conference Held
Purpose-based vehicles, global interest ↑

With connected cars expected to account for 98% of new cars worldwide by 2030 and interest in purpose-built vehicles (PBVs) and various in-vehicle services growing, a forum has been created to share information on how mobility will evolve.

The Global ICT Outlook Conference was held at the World IT Show 2022 (WIC) held at COEX. On the second day, the 21st, a place was set up to share information on the third session, ‘Mobility Road.’

Cha Du-won, director of the Cha Du-won Mobility Research Institute, gave a presentation on the topic of “The mobility revolution brought about by sharing and autonomy,” and said, “Recently, sharing has shifted to subscription, and autonomy is about to launch full-scale Level 3, and full-scale electrification and expansion of connectivity are expected to bring about many changes to the mobility industry structure and services.”

China's Neolix's PBV is equipped with level 4 autonomous driving functions and can run at a top speed of 50 kilometers per hour. It has built an intelligent production line in Changzhou City capable of producing 10,000 units per year, and aims to sell 100,000 units by 2025. Chinese companies have an advantage in price competitiveness, with prices being one-third of those in other countries.

Japanese company HINO has developed a PBV platform called FlatFormer, which has achieved diversity. The upper module can be changed, so it can be used for various purposes such as cargo transport and advertising screen installation depending on the vehicle purpose.

▲ Example of PBV utilization (Source: Global ICT Outlook Conference Program Book)

GM also unveiled a six-seater electric autonomous vehicle in collaboration with Honda and Cruise. It does not have a control unit or driving assistance devices, and has a modular body to improve efficiency. It is expected to be equipped with a remote control system because there may be safety issues due to the lack of a control unit.

The CEO said that PBVs, which can be used for various purposes, will be advantageous in the global trend of reducing the number of vehicles in cities.

GM signed a contract in April last year with Dubai, which aims to convert 25% of its transportation to autonomous vehicles by 2030, and plans to operate 4,000 PBVs from 2023 to 2030.

Kia also unveiled its PBV business strategy, Plan S. While B2C demand is expected to decline, B2B demand is expected to show rapid growth, so PBV demand in transportation and logistics is expected to increase. Kia plans to respond to the needs of B2B customers by improving PBV products through strategies such as flexible customized vehicles.

Major automakers are expanding their software development organizations and focusing on expanding subscription services.

As vehicle OS is emerging as a core technology for future automobiles, various companies including Hyundai Motor Company and Volkswagen have announced that they will increase their software workforce. Volkswagen Group will invest 27 billion euros by 2025 to increase its workforce to up to 10,000 people, and Hyundai Motor Group will invest 1.5 trillion won by 2026 for software experts. In addition, the global automobile industry is forming OEMs and focusing on software development.

For subscription services, Volvo aims to achieve 50% of its revenue through Care by Volvo subscriptions by 2025. The Volkswagen Group also announced plans to generate 20% of its revenue through subscription models and mobility services by the end of the 2020s.

Director Cha Du-won said, “The first condition for autonomous driving is unconditionally ‘safety,’” and added, “There is still a task remaining as to how autonomous cars, regular vehicles, and personal mobility devices can travel together safely.”