Kia debuts PBV concepts in Europe
Mon, 16 Sept 2024
Kia has held the European premiere of the brand’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) concept vans at the IAA Transportation Show in Hannover, Germany.
The Korean brand claims it is disrupting the light commercial vehicle with its distinctive purpose-built electric vehicles, which will arrive in Europe in the summer of 2025, followed by a UK debut towards the end of that year.
Along with key partnerships for fleet management and approved conversions, Kia says its PBVs will be backed by a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, as per its passenger cars.
The brand say that the vans will have best-in-class dimensions and loading capacities, as well as over-the-air software updates. Four models were on show at Hannover - The PV5 panel van concept, PV5 People Mover concept, PV5 High Roof concept and larger PV7 concept.
“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,” said Marc Hedrich, President of Kia in Europe. “While this approach is not a first for electric passenger cars, it’s certainly the first time we see it for LCVs. This is a benchmark moment, and our PBVs are set to deliver better accessibility, higher volumes, and lower running costs, to completely change logistics and mobility.”
The battery and motor architecture in the PBVs uses the same technology as the Kia EV5 and EV6 passenger cars, so will offer well-proven reliability and an impressive electric range by the time the new models make their debut in 2025.
