Highly adaptable, boldly designed electric taxi and van due 2026, with more to follow
MARK TISSHAW
Kia will enter the world of commercial vehicles in 2025 with an electric van called the PV5. The Kia PV5, revealed at CES in Las Vegas, is the first of a future line-up of what Kia calls PBVs, which stands for Platform Beyond Vehicle.
Kia showcased several concept versions of these PBVs at CES alongside the PV5, including the smaller PV1 and PV3 plus the larger PV7, as well as different versions of the PV5 itself, as part of plans to ramp up its offering of multi-purpose vehicles in the coming decade.
The PV5 will be launched first, in 2025, and is the first model to come from a new Kia factory in Hwaseong, South Korea, with an initial capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year. The plant has been designed solely to produce PBVs using a new, more flexible manufacturing process that mixes traditional production lines with assembly cells to allow for more bespoke fits and finishes based on a customer’s needs.
The PV5 is 4.7 metres long and has a target price of €35,000 (£30,600) for an entry-level model, although its battery size and range have yet to be disclosed.
Different lengths for the PV5 are possible, although the wheelbase will remain fixed.
The mooted price is punchy compared with rivals that typically cost in excess of £40,000, but Kia PBV boss Sangdae Kim insisted that the project would be profitable from day one and said the links to Kia’s electric cars allowed for lots of commonality.
The PV5 will be built on a specially adapted version of the E-GMP electric car platform used by the likes of the EV6 and EV9. Unlike those EVs, though, the PV5 is natively front-wheel drive and has a 400V electrical architecture, rather than an 800V one.
Two versions of the PV5 confirmed to be offered at launch are the six-seat People Mover taxi (a rival to the new electric Ford Tourneo Custom) and the High Roof panel van, which maximises cargo space.
Kia has confirmed that it is in talks with Uber about a supply deal of the People Mover, which has only a driver’s seat in the front, and indicated that the ride-hailing giant was influencing elements of the PV5’s design and configuration.
Kia is targeting small and medium-sized businesses, including utility companies, with the High Roof van initially.
These two PV5 variants are set to reach the UK in 2026.
Europe is the biggest t
