Kia (000270) announced on the 15th that it has delivered "The Kia PV5 WAV," a vehicle specialized for wheelchair passenger mobility, to Kwon Jae-hyuk, a player on its esports partner team Dplus Kia (DK).
Born in 2007, Kwon is a professional League of Legends player for DK Challengers.
The vehicle will be provided on a complimentary lease basis for the duration of the player's tenure with the team and will be used for commuting to practice facilities and traveling to away matches.
"I am truly happy and grateful to receive the PV5 WAV, which embodies Kia's philosophy of 'infinite possibilities,'" Kwon said. "I will repay this support by showing an even better performance, as this environment allows me to focus solely on competing as an esports player."
The purpose-built vehicle (PBV) PV5 WAV provided to Kwon is the first electric vehicle in Korea to feature side-entry access, designed for convenient and safe mobility for wheelchair users.
The vehicle enables wheelchair passengers to board directly from the sidewalk through a side sliding door with an opening width of 775mm and a manual in-floor two-stage ramp.
The manual in-floor two-stage ramp can be adjusted to one or two stages depending on boarding conditions and features an effective width of 740mm, accommodating both manual and electric wheelchairs that meet Korean Industrial Standards (KS) specifications.
Meanwhile, Kia is also deploying the PV5 WAV in its corporate social responsibility program "Kia Green Travel" to support mobility for transportation-disadvantaged individuals.
Kia Green Travel is a CSR initiative that provides specially modified vehicles free of charge to mobility-impaired individuals. Since its launch in 2012, the program has operated across eight regions nationwide and has served approximately 100,000 cumulative users over the past 15 years.