Vijayawada, Dec 7 (IANS): South Korean auto major Kia Motors on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state of Andhra Pradesh to collaborate on the partnership for future eco mobility.

The partnership reinforces Kia's commitment to support the Andhra Pradesh government in growing the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) and the development of a local EV infrastructure, the company said in a statement.

The memorandum was signed in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Managing Director and CEO of Kia Motors India Kookhyun Shim.

As part of the agreement, Kia Motors has provided the government with three examples of its global bestselling eco car - Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid and Niro EV. Kia is also installing a vehicle charging station at Vijayawada, for representatives from the regional government to charge their new environmentally-friendly fleet.

The partnership signifies Kia's long-term commitment to build eco-friendly vehicles at its new Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh, an important step for the future of clean mobility in the rapidly expanding Indian market, the statement said.

As the state government is developing 14 smart cities, Kia Motors is working with it to design a new generation of transportation systems that best serve the citizens in each of these cities. This is part of a wider plan by Kia to offer alternative mobility within the Indian market.

"Future mobility will be defined by connected and sustainable technologies that play an important role in bringing customer lifestyles and what's good for the environment together," said Kookhyun Shim.

Construction of Kia Motors' first manufacturing facility in India is underway in Anantapur district. It is expected to begin production in the second-half of 2019 and produce approximately 300,000 units per year.