Kia throws its hat into the EV wars with the all-new PV5 as it brings the fight to the Volkswagen ID.Buzz in the EV van wars.
Kia unveils the production version of the PV5 EV as the brand accelerates its push into the mobility market.
The Volkswagen ID.Buzz received plenty of buzz (no pun intended) when Volkswagen introduced the model several years ago. The company is just now shipping the retro-flavored EV van to U.S. dealerships. The van appeared to have the market to itself with Volkswagen hoping to make up for the slow start by heavily promoting it in a recent wave of marketing.
However, it appears Volkswagen is now facing a new contender in the EV wars with rival Kia unveiling the all-new PV5 which is the production-bound followup to the PV5 concept that made its debut at last year’s CES show in Las Vegas. The appearance of the PV5 also indicates that some automakers might be looking at vans as the next frontier in electrification.
PV5 goes in its own direction
The vaan maintains its show car looks with the exception of the mirrors and some extra cladding on the Commercial version.
Unlike the ID.Buzz Kia didn’t have any retro heritage to work with and instead, the PV5 embodies the same futuristic look that made waves when it first appeared at the concept. The van was shown in Cargo and Passenger configurations and it maintains the core theme of the concept but with extra black body cladding and chunky side mirrors. The front bumper also loses its message display screen and gets a chunky charger door in the center of the bumper. The slick daytime running lights are retained with the headlights themselves flanking the charge port cover. The space below the front license plate houses a large radar sensor and the space under the Kia logo features a front-mounted camera system.
The rear of the van is also mostly unchanged but the configuration will play a role in the type of doors they will receive with the passenger version getting a single lift-up rear door while the cargo version gets a set of dual side-opening tailgate doors. The shape also appears to be tailored towards aerodynamics with the sloping front end reducing drag and wind resistance while the high roof allows the van to haul bulky items.
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PV5 part of a broader plan
The PV5 will eventually spawn a new family of EVs that will put a strong focus on mobility.
The PV5 is the first production example of the company’s “Platform Beyond Vehicle” (PBV) platform with the van being designed from the ground up as an EV with the platform eventually underpinning other EVs as Kia attempts to create a mobility-focused lineup of EVs including a pickup truck version which was also teased at CES.
Kia didn’t reveal images of the interior for both PV5 models but it appears the model will have separate screens for both the instrument cluster and the infotainment system with chunky grab handles also being put into the A-pillars. We have to wait until Kia reveals more detailed images but these features would allow the PV5 to walk the tightrope between offering solutions for commercial buyers while also making sure the passenger versions have enough comfort and technology to please large family buyers. Kia will be revealing the PV5 on February 24th during its EV day event in Spain.
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