Kia’s CES show lineup included a whole range of commercial vehicles united under the internal designation ‘PV5’. Based on a highly flexible modular EV platform known as PBV (Platform Beyond Vehicle), they come in a variety of body designs mounted on the same chassis using mechanical clasps and electromagnets. The production is scheduled for the next year.
The idea behind the PV5 is that businesses only need to buy a single chassis along with multiple body types (panel truck, compact van, full-size van etc.) and then swap them around as needed. All fixed-top bodies will be shipping with a configurable interior, too, meaning you can use the same van as a passenger van with seats one day and as a delivery truck the other day – just remove the seats.
Aside from the PV5, which was advertised as a mid-size vehicle, Kia unveiled a supermini city van called PV1 and a heavy-duty chassis dubbed PV7. These will apparently go into production later on.
The automaker is currently building a factory in South Korea that will handle the production of all these PBV-series vehicles. Once running at full capacity, the plant is expected to churn out 150,000 vehicles per year. The construction completion date has been penciled in for 2025.
