Kia previews larger PV7 electric van ahead of reveal
Words: Kyle Cassidy
Kia has offered the first look at its new PV7, a larger electric van designed to take the brand’s expanding commercial vehicle range beyond the existing PV5.
The PV7 will be revealed in full at the IAA Transportation commercial vehicle show in Hannover, Germany, on September 14.
It will become Kia’s second dedicated Platform Beyond Vehicle, or PBV, following the smaller PV5. While the PV5 is aimed at a mixture of delivery, passenger and lifestyle duties, the PV7 moves Kia into the larger light commercial vehicle segment.
That should give it greater load-carrying capacity and make it suitable for a broader range of business applications. Kia also plans to develop several derivatives as it attempts to build an entire family of electric commercial vehicles around its PBV architecture.
For now, however, Kia is keeping most of the useful details under wraps. It hasn’t disclosed the PV7’s dimensions, payload, towing capacity, battery size, driving range or electric motor outputs.
The teaser images reveal a bluff one-box body with relatively short overhangs and a high roofline. Its black bonnet and pillar trim contrast with the body colour, while vertical lighting elements at each end link the PV7 visually with the smaller PV5.
Underneath, the PV7 is based on Kia’s dedicated E-GMP.S electric platform. This commercial-focused architecture is intended to support different body configurations and allows Kia to develop derivatives for specific passenger, cargo and specialist roles.
The PV7 forms part of a wider push into the electric van market. Rather than offering a single conventional body, Kia wants its PBV range to provide adaptable vehicles for delivery fleets, passenger transport and private buyers wanting something more practical than an SUV.
More information should emerge at the September unveiling, when Kia is also expected to display several PV5 derivatives. Those models will demonstrate how the company plans to adapt its electric platform for different commercial uses.
