The Smart City Platform Race Begins! Future Urban Strategies of Global Corporations
This post is part ③ of the PBV and Smart City Platform War series.
If you haven't read the previous articles yet, check them out first:
① What Is a PBV? Hyundai’s Game-Changing Smart Mobility Platform
② The Global PBV War: Why Hyundai Leads Over GM, Toyota, and Amazon in Smart Mobility
The Smart City Strategy War Among Global Automakers! Hyundai, Toyota, GM, and Amazon Compete for Future Urban Leadership
1. Introduction: Beyond PBVs, the Smart City Platform War Begins
While PBVs (Purpose Built Vehicles) have been the focus of many strategies, now the battlefield is shifting toward a larger and more complex domain: Smart City Platforms.
PBVs play a key role in future cities as transportation solutions, but they are only a single component of the broader smart city infrastructure.
The true competition lies in who can design and implement efficient and sustainable smart city ecosystems. It's not just automakers anymore—tech giants, cloud service providers, logistics companies, and even energy firms are entering the race to control this massive platform.
2. Why Now? The Rising Urgency of Smart Cities
- Climate Crisis and Carbon Neutral Demands: Cities urgently need carbon-neutral models.
- Urban Population Growth: Increasing traffic congestion, energy shortages, and pollution.
- Digital Transformation: Autonomous vehicles, IoT, AI, and cloud platforms are now essential urban infrastructure.
- The Limits of Traditional Infrastructure: New EV charging networks, data centers, and renewable energy systems are crucial.
Smart cities are no longer a distant vision but a critical competitive field that companies must prepare for now—or risk falling behind.
3. Hyundai Motor Group's Smart City Strategy
HMGICS: A Pilot Ground for Future Urban Innovation
Hyundai is leading a smart city testbed in Singapore through HMGICS, integrating PBVs, robotics, autonomous driving, and cloud infrastructure.
- AI-powered customized PBV production systems
- Integration of autonomous PBVs with robotic delivery services
- Smart factory to smart city connectivity
- Participation in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM City for global expansion
Collaboration with NEOM City
Hyundai is negotiating to supply PBVs, autonomous solutions, and logistics infrastructure for Saudi Arabia’s NEOM City project, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality and AI-powered urban management.
4. Toyota’s Future Urban Vision: Woven City
The Woven City Project
- Dedicated autonomous vehicle roads and pedestrian-only zones
- Hydrogen fuel cell-based energy self-sufficiency
- IoT smart homes and robotic service pilots
- Unmanned delivery and mobile shops using e-Palette PBVs
Toyota’s Woven City is an ambitious model for integrating mobility, energy, and data into a unified smart city platform.
5. GM and Ford’s Mobility-Focused Smart City Strategies
GM’s BrightDrop and Cruise Programs
- BrightDrop EV600/EV410 for last-mile logistics
- Cruise Origin for fully autonomous robotaxi services
Ford Pro’s B2B-Centered Strategy
- Fleet management solutions via Ford Pro Intelligence
- E-Transit electrification and charging infrastructure bundles
GM focuses on autonomous robotaxis and logistics services, while Ford emphasizes B2B fleet solutions for smart city integration.
6. Amazon’s Cloud & Logistics-Centric Smart City Strategy
Rivian EDVs and Zoox Robotaxis
- Electrification of Amazon’s logistics fleet with Rivian EDVs
- Zoox autonomous robotaxis for urban mobility services
AWS Cloud-Powered Smart City Infrastructure
- Data management, transportation, environment, and security systems integration
- Closed ecosystems for seamless logistics and data operations
7. Chinese Corporations Expanding Smart City Initiatives: BYD, Geely, Xpeng
BYD
- The world’s largest electric bus manufacturer
- Smart traffic system pilots in Shenzhen and Hangzhou
Geely
- Premium PBV strategy through the Zeekr brand
- Collaboration with Baidu for AI-driven autonomous traffic systems
Xpeng
- Robotaxi and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) pilots
- Active participation in Chinese government smart city projects
8. Key Issues and Future Scenarios in the Smart City Race
Key Issues
- Energy systems: Hydrogen vs Electric
- Commercialization and regulation of autonomous infrastructure
- Competition over cloud services and data ownership
- Securing government partnerships
Future Scenarios
- Fully autonomous city operations
- Energy self-sufficient smart cities
- Data-centric urban management and optimization
- Competition between open and closed smart city platforms
9. Conclusion: Why Controlling Smart City Platforms Will Reshape Global Industries
The company that controls smart city platforms will dominate future markets for mobility, logistics, energy, and data. Hyundai, Toyota, GM, Amazon, and Chinese corporations are all striving for dominance in this space, and the results will redefine the global industrial landscape.
Series Summary: Why Hyundai Leads the Smart City Platform Race
The PBV and Smart City competition is no longer about vehicle manufacturing. It’s a global platform war over who designs and operates the future urban ecosystem.
1. Vertical Integration from Manufacturing to Platform Control
- Customized PBV production via HMGICS smart factories
- Commercialization of Level 4 autonomy through Motional collaboration
- Last-mile delivery services using Boston Dynamics robotics
2. Real-Time Smart City and Mobility Infrastructure Integration
Hyundai connects mobility services with urban infrastructure in real-time, with active participation in major projects like NEOM City, embedding their platform from the urban planning phase.
3. PBV Scalability and Flexibility
- Modular eS platform adaptable for logistics, healthcare, commerce, and residential uses
- Expansion from B2B fleets into the B2C personal mobility sector
4. Comprehensive Smart Mobility Ecosystem
Hyundai integrates PBVs, autonomy, robotics, and urban infrastructure into a unified ecosystem—transitioning from automaker to smart city operator.
Conclusion
Hyundai is no longer just a car manufacturer. They are now positioned as the designer and operator of future urban platforms.
Conclusion of the PBV & Smart City Platform War Series
This concludes the three-part PBV & Smart City Platform War Series.
As Hyundai and global corporations continue competing in the smart city arena, we will keep you updated with insights and analysis.