Kia PV5 set to be revealed at UK CV show, as electric van market heats up

  • Kia’s UK debut of its new electric van series will take place at the Commercial Vehicle (CV) show this April, as Kia readies up to enter a market with an increasingly high level of competition from OEMs such as Ford, Stellantis, and Renault.
  • After the PV5 concept was revealed at CES 2024, the production-going version of the PV5 is set to be shown off to prospective buyers at the CV show in April.
  • Exclusively in the UK, the ‘PBV’ moniker coined for Kia’s electric vans will mean ‘Professional Business Vans’, highlighting a unique marketing strategy that Kia will employ for its electric vans in the UK.

Kia’s UK debut of electric commercial vans gets closer

The PV5 will be available in three purposes, namely a panel van, chassis cab (allowing for configurations such as tippers), and a passenger van variant. There’s no word on a specific launch date or pricing, but we’d expect Kia to price it competitively in line with rivals like the Ford E-Transit Custom. Kia have however confirmed that all ‘PBV’ vehicles will come with a seven year, 100,000 mile warranty, much like its consumer EVs.

Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK, commented:

“Our first electric van, the PV5, arrives at an important time for the UK, amid an unprecedented transition towards electric power across both the car and van markets. Our strategy is to approach the market confidently but responsibly, launching in a phased and progressive manner to ensure each element of our commercial vehicle business is exacted with the same industry-leading standards we’re known for in the passenger car industry. This will cover dealer sales excellence, customer care, service and experience.”

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Kia’s entry into the UK’s eLCV market comes at a pivotal time, with new electric van entrants such as BYD, and Geely-backed Farizon also gearing up for a UK market entry in the first half of 2025. It also comes as UK fleets take significant decarbonisation efforts. Earlier this week, BT Group placed the largest single order of electric commercial vans, with over 3,500 EVs set to be delivered to the group over the next year.

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