Lex Rutten for Kia Netherlands: ‘The opportunity to build something from scratch doesn’t come often’

Lex Rutten will start Kia Netherlands on May 1 as business development manager Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV). He advertises this on LinkedIn. Rutten transfers from Arval, where he was responsible for the development of the rental company in the van market for almost two years.

The switch was not planned but sought, Rutten told AM. “More than a year ago, during a customer event, I contacted Kia about the electric vehicles that they will bring to the market in 2025, based on the concept of Platform Beyond Vehicle. However, I had switched from Opel to Arval because I wanted to be more active and passenger cars in the mobility sector. Still, the itch remained because the opportunity to build something from scratch with a new model line doesn’t come around very often. This is Kia’s first foray into the car market, and the ambitions it brings are very appealing to me. In addition, the combination of the new model with the existing dealer network and the after-sales network is very attractive.

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Platform Beyond Vehicle is an EV platform for vehicles. Kia is launching a total of five new electric vehicles. The modular concept should make it possible to produce custom-made vehicles. “The name also explains that it is more than just a commercial electric vehicle,” Rutten explains. “The vehicle is important for your future mobility solution, but even more so for your company’s operational process.”

The first Kia PBV models should come to the Dutch market in 2025.