Kia has made a splash in the electric vehicle (EV) market in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment with the European premiere of its Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) concept at the IAA Transportation event in Hanover. 

According to Kia, Kia is set to disrupt the industry with a range of purpose-built EVs designed to cater to both B2B and private customers. Kia’s PBV concept includes several new models: the PV5, PV5 People Mover, PV5 High Roof, and PV7. These EVs come with a comprehensive 7-year or 150,000 km warranty and feature rapid charging capabilities, allowing them to charge from 10% to 80% in under 30 minutes. 

Kia’s PBV (Purpose-Built Vehicle) concept is designed around four core pillars: Drive, Charge, Connect, and Work, each bringing groundbreaking innovations to the light commercial vehicle (LCV) market.

The PBV concept is built on a custom battery-electric vehicle (BEV) platform, allowing it to adapt to various vehicle sizes. It offers best-in-class driveability and maneuverability, with a multi-tasking cockpit that features an AI-powered interface for enhanced user experience.

With access to over 780,000 charging points across 28 European countries, Kia’s PBV ensures convenience for users. The vehicle is also compatible with the IONITY network and includes Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability, enabling external device power. Future integration into a Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) ecosystem is also planned.

Moreover, Kia has partnered with Geotab to offer advanced fleet management solutions. The vehicle’s Android OS-based head unit includes an AI voice assistant, while the Digital Key 2.0 provides remote and shared access. Over-the-air updates ensure continuous improvements to the system.

Furthermore, the PBV offers versatile configurations tailored to various industries. Kia is collaborating with Petit Forestier Group to develop refrigerated vehicles and has formed partnerships with companies like Uber, Coupang, and CJ Logistics to further expand its commercial applications.

Marc Hedrich, President of Kia Europe, emphasized the company’s ambitious approach stating, “In order to disrupt the LCV market, an all-in approach is needed to maximize the benefits of a dedicated platform for a wide range of customers.”

Kia’s PBV concept aims to address several key areas in the LCV sector:

Pierre-Martin Bos, Director of PBV at Kia Europe, highlighted the customer-centric approach stating, “Our focus is on customer needs, to provide a solution for each use case, ensure business continuity and optimize vehicle uptime.”

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With the production version aimed for the summer of 2025, Kia is positioning itself as a major player in the LCV market with its electric PBV concept as the company’s comprehensive approach to innovative design and advanced software solutions sets a new benchmark for the industry.

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