Kakao Mobility and Nvidia Sign MoU for L4 Driving in Kia PBVs

Kakao Mobility and Nvidia have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop Level 4 (L4) autonomous driving technology for Kia purpose-built vehicles (PBVs), starting from operations in Seoul, South Korea.

The agreement, announced without a disclosed investment figure or timeline, pairs Kakao Mobility's proprietary autonomous driving AI model with Nvidia's computing, sensing and safety systems. The Korean company builds on existing driverless operations in Seoul's Gangnam district and its broader mobility platform business.

Kakao Mobility and Kia signed a separate agreement in July covering PBV development for autonomous driving services. Kia plans to prioritise the combined technology in vehicles designed for L4 autonomous driving services, with PBVs as the initial deployment target.

What hardware is involved?

The technical core of the partnership is concrete. Kakao Mobility plans to deploy an autonomous driving computing unit fitted with two Nvidia Drive AGX Thor units (Nvidia's automotive-grade chip for real-time processing of large-scale AI workloads).

The company also intends to use Nvidia's Hyperion architecture — a reference design combining sensors and computing — to optimise connections between vehicles, sensors and the autonomous driving computing units. For functional safety, Kakao Mobility plans to apply Nvidia Halos, Nvidia's integrated safety system, in development and validation of its autonomous driving software.

Nvidia automotive vice president Rishi Dhall said: "Nvidia Hyperion provides the sensor and computing technology foundation needed for L4 autonomous driving, while Nvidia Halos supports a comprehensive safety system throughout the entire process, from technology development to actual service application."

Kakao Mobility CEO Ryu Geung-sun framed the deal as a stepping stone toward commercialisation. He said: "Through this collaboration with Nvidia, we will not only accelerate the advancement of E2E [end-to-end] autonomous driving, but also prepare for the era of L4 commercialisation as the hub of the global technology ecosystem connecting software, components, and finished vehicles."

What does this change for the Korean supply base?

For practitioners, the MoU signals that Korea's L4 stack is consolidating around a three-way structure: Kakao Mobility supplies the driving software and mobility platform, Nvidia supplies compute and safety infrastructure, and Kia supplies the vehicle hardware through its PBV line. Each party holds a distinct tier in the chain rather than competing layers.

The stated ambition is a system intended to meet global standards, though no certification milestones, launch dates or production volumes appear in the announcement. The companies describe intentions, not confirmed capacity or deployment plans.

A separate Samsung thread

Alongside the mobility agreement, Samsung Electronics is expanding its own collaboration with Nvidia in semiconductor innovation through accelerated computing and AI physics. That work covers materials research, process development and device engineering — a manufacturing-level partnership separate from the automotive program.

What to watch next

Watch for the first Kia PBV prototypes carrying the dual-Thor computing unit, any regulatory approvals tied to Kakao Mobility's Gangnam operations expanding beyond the district, and whether the July Kakao-Kia agreement produces a dated commercial service launch. Confirmation of a production-intent L4 vehicle program would move this from MoU to committed roadmap.