Kia’s range of purpose-built electric vehicles have made their European debut at the IAA show, showcasing the brand’s plans to disrupt the LCV market.
Due on sale from 2025, the brand’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) concept teams up fit-for-purpose EVs with advanced software solutions, over-the-air updates and claimed best-in-class dimensions and loading capacities to revamp the van sector.
Marc Hedrich, president of Kia in Europe, said: “In order to disrupt the LCV market, an all-in approach is needed to maximise the benefits of a dedicated platform for a wide range of customers. While this approach is not a first for electric passenger cars, it’s certainly the first time we see it for LCV.”
The PV5 concept, PV5 People Mover concept, PV5 High Roof concept and PV7 concept were all on show at IAA Hanover while Kia also announced that all its electric vans will be covered by a seven-year/150,000km warranty, giving customers peace of mind, and will be able to use the Kia Charge network. This provides access to more than 780,000 charging points in 28 European countries.
The Ionity network can also be used, with more than 4,100 charging points in 24 European countries and enabling ultra-fast charging that can replenish a Kia electric van from 10% to 80% in less than 30 minutes.
Kia’s eLCVs will also offer 22kW AC charging and fast charging of up to 150kW DC, supported by the Plug & Charge one-step process, with charging initiated by simply plugging in the charging cable.
And the brand’s electric vans will also be vehicle-to-load (V2L) capable, turning them into mobile generators able to power devices, tools, refrigeration units, emergency equipment and more.
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionality will arrive in the future, enabling customers to exchange energy with the grid, helping optimise the vehicle’s total cost of ownership and contributing to sustainable electricity usage.
Kia also confirmed its cooperation with Geotab to drive the future of fleet management. This strategic collaboration will integrate a range of data solutions, with enhanced in-vehicle technology, innovative systems, route optimisation and safe driving rewards.
At IAA Hanover, Kia also announced a new technical collaboration with the Petit Forestier Group for the development of refrigerated versions.
Kia is already working with brands such as Uber for its electric vans and has made initial deals with Coupang and CJ Logistics for deliveries, as well as Kakao Mobility and Dubai Taxi Corporation for ride-hailing.
