• The Kia PV5 is an all-electric, configurable electric van, with crew van, box van, refrigerated truck and camper variants on the way.
• It gets a 161-horsepower motor and a maximum range of 248 miles.
• Kia hasn’t ruled out a U.S.-market version, but U.S. import duties make it expensive to bring in commercial vehicles built outside of North America.

Kia’s 2025 EV Day wasn’t all about passenger cars, but also small commercial vehicles. It showed off the production version of the PV5, the first in what’ll likely be a wide lineup of PBV (Platform Beyond Vehicle) trucks and vans.

The PV5 will come in three core body styles at launch: Passenger, Cargo and Chassis Cab. Each will offer a variety of customers the option to personalize their vehicles to suit their needs thanks to the PBV’s modular make up. Each PVB will be based on the E-GMP.S platform, a modified version of the underpinnings you’ll find on Kia’s EV6, EV9, et al. Here, it’s a battery-powered skateboard with room on top for different body styles. 

Construction of the PV5 and its upcoming siblings will happen at a custom facility, and the way it’s built is fascinating. Kia’s using something called the Flexible Body System to let buyers choose exactly how their PV5s are built. The firm says it’s ‘akin to assembling a puzzle,’ which could lead to some truly interesting creations. Similarly, Kia partnered with commercial vehicle industry veterans to enable PV5s to come with crew cabs, drop sides, big ‘ol boxes, freezer boxes and more on the back. It even says you could use a PV5 as a ‘light camper,’ as it previewed at SEMA. 

What do the different PV5s look like? The Passenger version comes with a three-row seating configuration and a lift-up tailgate. You’ll be able to have up to eight people in there in a 2-3-3 layout, though you can fold seats away to give you and your passengers more space.

PV5 Cargos are set to be the workhorses of the range. It comes in three configurations – Standard, Long and High-Roof. The latter of those three can come with a Walk-Through version, and even gets a roof console as standard. With a max load volume of 180 cubic feet and a rear lip height of 16.5 inches (419 mm), you’ll be able to get a surprising amount of stuff in the back.

Photo by: Kia

Optional L-Track mounting systems should make securing loads easy, and a vehicle-to-load (V2L) electricity supply in the cargo area should help when you need power on the move. Also, Kia’s got some data collection fun going on so fleet managers can undertake predictive maintenance, keep an eye on service schedules and more. Naturally, it’s updatable over the air to keep your business moving. That means no more downtime to get someone to plug a USB stick in and fiddle with the software.

The Chassis Cab variant is the one to go for when you want a PV5 with room to grow. It’s got the cab from the Cargo version, but nothing on the back. You can choose what you want to pop on the back and make something unique for your business. 

Photo by: Kia

More variants are coming. The Crew is Kia’s own in-house conversion model with specs that were previously only achievable via external modifiers. Drop Side, Box Van and Freezer Box models are en route, too. Kia says there’ll be more options to come, so perhaps an EV #Vanlyfeeeee rig is only a few years away.

But there’s already another specialty vehicle on the platform. The Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) is a PV5 with a specific purpose in mind: wheelchair accessibility. It’s not like the clunky conversions on the market. It’s been designed with wheelchair users in mind from the off. Its ramp can support 661lbs, and is lifted out to the sidewalk, something that’s not common in competitors. Inside, there’s a universal wheelchair fastening system to keep occupants safe and secure in the second row of seats, allowing them to be close to the front while companions can sit in the third row. 

Photo by: Kia

If you’ve been in a Kia road car, you’ll recognize much of the interior of the PV5 lineup. Physical buttons, touch screens and familiar switchgear make up the cabin. Being a modular vehicle, users will be able to create their own spaces more readily than you can in a road car, though. Upfitters should have plenty to work with.

Speaking of making the PV5 your own, there’s something extra in there for commercial clients. There’s a 7-inch instrument display and a 12.9-inch nav screen that allows fleets to install business-critical apps to keep an eye on what the trucks are doing, thanks to Android Automotive. Partnering with Samsung and using its Internet of Things (IoT) platform, SmartThings Pro, Kia hopes PVB customers will be able to have a more connected experience with their PV5s. It should allow the van to control and monitor compatible smart HVAC, smart signage systems, appliances and a variety of other smart business and smart home devices. To further enhance the user experience, Kia’s introduced AddGear, a configurable accessory range to make your space a little more user-friendly. The accessories will be available in a range of pleasant exterior colors and even use eco-friendly materials. 

Photo by: Kia

The mounting rails are made to support accessories.

The PV5 will be powered by a 161 horsepower motor with 184 lb-ft of torque, with power fed to it by one of three battery options. Cargo PV5s can come with a 43.3 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, or a 51.5 or 71.2kWh lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) choice. The rest of the line up can only choose from the higher capacity NMC packs. The maximum range is 248 miles on the WLTP cycle, and with the right charger, you’ll get from 10-80% SOC in 30 minutes.

PV5 sales will begin in Korea and Europe later in 2025, and more markets in 2026. One of those markets is unlikely to be the US, though. The Chicken Tax imposes a 25% import duty on commercial vehicles built outside of North America, dooming most foreign-built commercial rigs like the Korea-made PV5. 

However, speaking at EV Day, Kia’s President and CEO Ho Sung Song, didn’t rule out finding a way to get some sort of variant of PV5 into the country eventually, it’s a matter of looking at options as they unfold. One thing’s for sure: Kia’s commercial EV push won’t stop here. The PV7 and PV9 are coming soon, and we can’t help but notice that Kia starting with the number “5” leaves plenty of room for smaller models, too.