The commercial vehicle manufacturer Kia has, with the new compact electric transporter PV5, set a long-distance record and covered 693.38 kilometers on a single charge. The Kia PV5 Cargo, the first eLCV in its PBV line, was added to the Guinness World Records list. Officially the title read: "The greatest distance a battery-powered light electric transporter with a maximum payload has covered on a single charge." For the test, the PV5 Cargo was equipped with a long-range battery (71.2 kWh) and four doors, which in the configuration used here allows a maximum payload of 665 kg. The record run took place on September 30, 2025 under everyday conditions on public roads north of Frankfurt am Main.
"Kia may be new to the LCV market. But this record is evidence of the versatility and innovations behind the first Kia-PBV, and shows that we are serious contenders," said Marc Hedrich, President and CEO of Kia Europe.
A large portion of
the target audience for this van variant could operate the vehicle for nearly two full working days on a single charge, Hedrich continues. The record route was designed to reflect the everyday life of delivery and logistics operations. The 58.2-kilometer loop on urban and rural roads with traffic lights, intersections, roundabouts and typical city traffic exposed the PV5 Cargo to conditions as most logistics drivers experience. In addition, the route featured total elevation changes of around 370 meters. The fully loaded transporter completed the loop eleven times and only came to a stop on the twelfth lap.
Full payload, GPS tracking
At the helm of the PV5 for the record run were George Barrow, a commercial-vehicle journalist who specializes in vans and has represented the UK on the jury of the International Van of the Year award (IVOTY) since 2016, and Christopher Nigemeier, senior engineer at the European Research and Development Center of the Hyundai Motor Group, based
in Rüsselsheim, of which Kia is a part, and a member of the PV5 development team.
"I was really impressed by how far the Kia PV5 can go: over 690 kilometers on a single charge and at full payload — that's no small feat. And I have the feeling that this record will not be easy to beat. I am proud to be part of a record that pushes the boundaries for electric transporters," Barrow said afterward.
The record attempt was meticulously prepared. Inspectors from TÜV Hessen and the Buck Vermessung company oversaw the loading process and checked compliance with the weight specifications. The journey was recorded continuously using GPS tracking and interior cameras. The PV5's battery was charged to 100 percent before departure, and both the charging port and the cargo area were sealed until the end of the 22-hour and 30-minute long journey.
"For me as an engineer, it was both a technical and a personal
challenge to extract the maximum from every kilowatt-hour," explained Christopher Nigemeier. "In the end, it was the vehicle itself that impressed us both."
First member of the PBV family
The PV5, as the first model of Kia's PBV family, is based on the innovative E-GMP.S platform (Electric Global Modular Platform for Service) and is designed according to a modular concept. This flexibility enables various configurations for a wide range of commercial and private applications: in addition to the PV5 Cargo transporter and the PV5 Passenger minibus, among others a chassis (Chassis-Cab) and a wheelchair-accessible WAV variant (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle). The PV5 Cargo offers a cargo volume of up to 4.4 m³ and allows a payload of up to 790 kg. Currently, for the transporter, 51.5- and 71.2-kWh batteries are available; a 43.3-kWh battery will follow. The PV5 Cargo record edition will be on display from 18 November 2025 at the commercial vehicle show Solutrans in Lyon (Eurexpo, Hall
