The Kia PV5 faces a persistently electric-vehicle-skeptical European market, which, unlike China, has not yet really started fleet electrification. While for passenger cars the 20 percent mark in new registrations is gradually coming into view, electric transporters are hovering below five percent. And that, although 80 percent of the qualifying applications, according to the manufacturers' market research, could be electrified: same-day routes, many urban applications, overnight charging options, there should already have been more progress with electricity.
The excuse that suitable, i.e., profitable products were lacking falls away at the latest with the Kia PV5. Because here comes the rolling “Business Case.” Prices start at 33,000 euros net (89 kW, L2H1 51 kWh) and 36,800 euros (120 kW, L2H1, 71 kWh); you get a spacious and energy-efficient vehicle that boldly exploits the advantages of the pure-electric platform and does not shy away from the mixed concept.
Advantages of the pure EV platform
That starts with the entry: you step into the PV5 at a pleasantly low height, into a spacious interior thanks to the ultra-short snout, appreciate a perfectly flat floor and easy ingress and dozens of well-formatted compartments. Among them stand out the original drawer, the underfloor hideaway, or the ample compartments behind the seats. Helpful are the grab handles on the A-pillars. Only the chunky gear selector for the driving modes narrows knee room a bit.
Excellent is also the overview of the short front and to the sides, thanks to the deeply drawn window line. There are hardly any blind spots. A small cosmetic flaw: the windows are so large that they cannot be fully lowered, and when open they sit a bit “off” in the space.
And: The left armrest is quite low. The artificial leather seats are comfortable, optionally even ventilated. The razor-sharp instruments are split into a small 7.5-inch central cluster and a larger 12.3-inch infotainment screen, whose icons are a bit fiddly. Unlike in Kia EV passenger cars, the PV5 has no physical switches for the most important functions like ventilation, which means you have to tap more often.
No dead angle: cameras in the mirrors
Clou are cameras in the mirrors, whose image is projected onto the display when the turn signal is activated. You have real visibility, which will soon be complemented by a digital rearview mirror. Of
course for a Korean EV the PV5 is also connectable, via modem—for example to fleet telematics. It also has an EV route planner with charging stops, as well as an app connectivity and a “digital key” with which access to the vehicle can be transferred. The workmanship remains of a high level, the look and feel are appealing for a commercial vehicle.
The bulkhead continues this theme, where fat handles on the two optional side portals open access to a very wide, long and high 4.4-cubic-meter cargo space for the format. It features an exceptionally low loading edge of 42 centimeters. Of course, a pallet does not fit exactly sideways with a width of 77 centimeters, so when two pallets are required for piece goods you would have to push them in from the rear. One gripe is that the driver must first open the left door with a stylish but impractical hidden button.
Cubic opening at the rear
This offers a cubic opening all the way to the top, with the portals then locking securely at 90 or 180 degrees just as securely as the side door. All portals close easily. Side plastic cladding integrates into the striking look and also provides protection against bollards or forklift forks. If you need a flat surface, you get a floor rise of about ten centimeters, open to the rear. This keeps a long underfloor storage space, unlike the rear-wheel-drive VW ID.Buzz, where the space seems to “go to pot.” Clever is the custom Open-Source tie-down system in the sides, which is also found in the cockpit. There is also the well-known airline-track system as an option.
Later a high roof
The long version at 4.70 meters uses an extended overhang, thus keeping the same wheelbase and the decent turning circle of eleven meters. Later a high-roof version with over five cubic meters will come, interesting for delivery services. A long wheelbase is not planned; this field is to be taken by the 3.5-ton PV7, announced for next year in the “frightfully useful PBV family.”
The dimensions in height and width stay a square-practical 1.90 by 1.90 meters. Payload is also quite respectable for a purely electric model. Even with the largest of the three lithium-ion batteries (43, 51 and 71 kWh, sourced from Korea) there is still 700
kilograms left, because the empty weight for a pure EV at 1.8 to 2 tonnes is relatively slim. In the best case it is 800 kilos. The towing capacity at 750 kilos isn’t lavish, but at least there is the option. For mixed use, the enormously roomy and practical PV5 Kombi is also very appealing. It can carry a pallet crosswise at the rear, and with a loading shelf it can quickly be transformed into a glazed panel van with a flat loading floor.
Rigid body for compact handling
That the PV5 is not only well finished when stationary but also on the move is evident on the first test run as part of the “International Van of the Year.” The body is rock-solid, crack-free, and forms the basis for compact handling that, thanks to light and sufficiently precise steering, provides driving pleasure. The PV5 can be steered with agility across rural and mountain roads, scoring with low body roll and secure on-road handling. The 400 kg of payload in the rear is hardly noticeable.
All this happens thanks to the 120-kW front synchronous motor with 250 Nm from standstill, so fast, whisper-quiet and unflustered, also torque-rich, that one must pay respect: The PV5 drives like an EV3 in XXL and inherits the virtues of the electric passenger cars from the EV-experienced manufacturer. It also offers high noise and ride comfort, reaching a new level of workplace quality. Even at highway speed it remains very quiet, as if encapsulated. At 135 km/h, sensibly, it ends, even though the aerodynamics for a boxy van with a CD of 0.28 is surprisingly good.
Advanced driver assistance at a high level
Here too the generally well-tuned driving assistants are helpful, such as the active lane-keeping assist or the intelligent distance cruise control that can automatically take over the respective limits. Divisive, because slightly annoying, we find the overly sensitive speed-limit warning, somewhat unsettling the pupil-tracking of attention. A rear-view camera with display in the center screen is as standard as a parking collision warning. Optional, one can operate at Level 2 of automated driving.
Also the uncomplicated regenerative braking is aided by the finely tuned system: using the paddles on the steering wheel you modulate the pace of the 2.65-ton van according to the situation, up to genuine “one-pedal drive.”
The thorough energy recovery conserves the storage, making the PV5 a frugal vehicle. With 17 kWh/100 km we completed a 70-kilometer city-to-country-to-highway loop into the Andalusian mountains; other colleagues reduced the van to 15 kWh/100 km.
In the city such values could likely be even lower; the WLTP City maximum range is 596 kilometers, so the PV5 clears the biggest hurdle for customers besides price: range. No one needs to fear. We started at 33 percent and ended at 15 percent. Formally it’s 297 and 416 kilometers radius, which would correspond to 19 kWh/100 km according to WLTP, quite realistic. For further energy saving the heat pump helps. The van also can supply energy back to the grid (V2G) or to external devices (V2L) via sockets in the cargo area (3.7 kW).
Business case in place
The charging technology of the 400-volt platform fits as well: with solid 11 kW AC and 150 kW DC, docked practically at the front in the grille, you’re quickly back up to speed; at a fast charger you can go from 10 to 80 percent in about half an hour. Plug & Charge should further ease handling at public chargers; charging and billing occur automatically, provided the column supports it.
At launch, they rely on the middle and large battery; the 43 kWh would, given such efficiency, suffice for most city users, while increasing payload and lowering price. The manufacturer also aims to assist with depot charging technology. A dedicated service network is still missing, essential for success in the LCV market. Here, unlike the Chinese newcomers such as Maxus, Farizon or BYD, you can dock onto a passenger-car network; dealer interest is high, the establishment of dedicated LCV centers is in full swing, they say.
Now only the business customers have to be brought on board
They just have to bring along the traditionally conservative business customers, whose motto seems to be: “Never change a running system.” Yet the (global) system no longer works the same; the electrification of transport is, in the consensus of all credible experts, indispensable for CO2 reduction. The PV5 shows what sustainable transport could look like. If ecology isn’t enough, Kia offers good economics: operating costs should be far below those of a diesel, service cheaper and less frequent. As said: here rolls a “Business
