SEOUL—Kia Corp. has opened a state-of-the-art factory that will enable it to ramp up production of electric vehicles. The new Gwangmyeong EVO Plant, is Hyundai Motor Group’s first dedicated EV manufacturing facility.
The new facility will be capable of building 150,000 vehicles annually. It is currently assembling the Kia EV3 compact SUV, but will soon begin building the EV4 mid-sized sedan.
“The completion of the Kia Gwangmyeong EVO Plant solidifies [our] first step as an EV leader...” says Jun Young Choi, executive vice president of Kia. “With the goal of providing sustainable mobility solutions, we will lead innovation in the EV market and fulfil our responsibilities in helping to deliver a sustainable future.”
According to Choi, the new facility “has been constructed with a full-scale conversion to electrification in mind, focusing on ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘worker-friendly’ processes.”
The body shop features automated guided forklifts, while the paint shop is equipped to apply water-based 3C1B coatings. “New equipment has also been introduced to improve wellbeing and reduce the workload of plant employees, including machinery which can automatically install high-voltage batteries, wheels and tires on the vehicles,” says Choi.
