Kia held the European premiere of its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) concept at IAA Hanover. Kia says that it is disrupting the light commercial vehicle (LCV) market with an exciting range of purpose-built electric vehicles (EV) backed by a seven-year/150,000 km warranty.

The PV5 concept, PV5 People Mover concept, PV5 High Roof concept and PV7 concept were all on show at the Kia stand. The introduction of the production version is planned for summer 2025.

“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 LCV. 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.”

Kia has developed an innovative BEV platform specifically for LCVs that can be adapted to different wheelbase lengths, to easily accommodate a wide range of vehicle sizes and body types. With impressive handling, power and acceleration, PBVs ranging from small to mid-sized to large dimensions perform brilliantly on the open road and in urban areas. They feature best-in-class driveability and manoeuvrability, with a turning radius that makes it easy to park in tight spaces and move around in city centres.

At IAA Hanover, Kia announced that every PBV will be covered by a seven-year/150,000 km warranty. Customers can also enjoy the unique user experience of the multi-tasking cockpit, AI-powered human-machine interface and multiple storage spaces. The cockpit is highly adaptable and can be easily turned into a mobile workspace when the vehicle is stationary.

Kia PBVs will utilise the Kia Charge network that 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. With ultra-fast charging, a PBV can charge from 10% to 80% in less than 30 minutes, enabling customers to charge the vehicle during a lunch break or while visiting a customer. Also, Kia PBVs will offer 22kW AC charging for better optimisation and lower costs, and fast charging of up to 150kW DC.

Supporting a streamlined charging process is Kia Plug & Charge, the one-step process with charging initiated by simply plugging in the charging cable. In addition, the Kia EV Route Planner finds the next available charging station and guides the vehicle straight there.

Kia PBVs will also be V2L capable, making them mobile energy units able to power devices, tools, refrigeration units, emergency equipment and more. In the future customers can also exchange energy with the grid through the V2G ecosystem, to help optimise the vehicle’s total cost of ownership and contribute to sustainable electricity usage.

As fully connected vehicles, Kia PBVs boast a range of onboard systems and features to maximise convenience. This includes a brand-new dedicated Android OS-based head unit, an AI-powered voice assistant, predictive maintenance, smart routing, and tailored fleet management system. Digital Key 2.0 provides remote and shared access to the vehicle, while over-the-air updates ensure the latest features and technologies are on board.

PBVs are highly adaptable vehicles available with different variants, seat layouts, dimensions, and conversions. They feature best-in-class cargo volume and loading height, to maximise productivity and minimise downtime.

Kia is already working with numerous partners, including pan-European converters, to develop individualised PBVs for specific needs, such as racking, refrigerated goods transportation, leisure, and wheelchair-accessible mobility.

“Our focus is on customer needs, to provide a solution for each use case, ensure business continuity and optimise vehicle uptime,” said Pierre-Martin Bos, Director PBV at Kia Europe. “We reinforce our brand promise with a dedicated PBV network ready to service our vehicles with specific customer-oriented standards, on top of the more than 2600 actual Kia dealers in Europe, together with predictive maintenance through our OTA capabilities, we are determined to deliver the most holistic and innovative mobility experience to all our customers, in business and private use.”