Kia’s New PV5 Chassis Cab Is a Game-Changer for Electric Fleets

Kia is pushing its commercial electric vehicle strategy forward again, and the new PV5 Chassis Cab shows exactly how serious the company is about building versatile electric work vehicles for businesses across Europe. This model was created from the start as a dedicated electric platform, not a converted van, and you can feel that intentional design everywhere you look. It delivers up to 1,005 kilogrammes of payload capacity and up to eight cubic metres of usable space when fitted with the High Box configuration, all while staying under five metres in length. That combination alone makes it one of the most flexible electric vans in its class.

Kia’s engineers built the PV5 Chassis Cab on the E G M P S architecture, which was designed specifically for efficient electric powertrains and modular body conversions. Kia worked directly with European conversion specialists, so the chassis can easily transform into everything from a Dropside for construction work, to a Tipper for municipal jobs, to Refrigerated Vans for grocery delivery, or even a full Box Van for parcel logistics. Kia even showed a real food truck conversion at SOLUTRANS, serving local pastries and coffee to prove how quickly the PV5 can be adapted for real business needs.

To support daily operations, Kia will offer the Chassis Cab with two battery choices. The 51.5 kilowatt hour pack arrives first, followed by a longer range 71.2 kilowatt hour option in 2026. Range will depend on the conversion, but Kia’s L2H1 Cargo version reaches up to 297 kilometres with the standard battery and up to 416 kilometres with the long range pack. With fast charging of up to 150 kilowatts, the battery goes from 10 percent to 80 percent in about 30 minutes. AC charging at 22 kilowatts will also be added later, giving businesses more ways to keep vehicles running during downtime.

Kia equipped the PV5 with a strong steel exoskeleton, rear underrun protection, and a full list of modern driver assistance features. These include Smart Cruise Control 2, Lane Following Assist 2 with hands on detection, Lane Keeping Assist, and Intelligent Speed Limit Assist. The van also comes with Kia’s well known seven year or 150,000 kilometre warranty, which can be extended all the way to 260,000 kilometres, while the battery has separate eight year coverage.

Alongside the Chassis Cab, Kia introduced the Kia Business Solutions Ecosystem. It unifies fleet management, charging, data, and connectivity into one digital platform. The system is built on four pillars: Drive, Charge, Connect, and Work. These include features such as the new Android based infotainment system, artificial intelligence assistance, over the air updates, access to a huge European charging network with more than one million points, a multi brand fleet management platform, and a central portal that connects all services. It is designed to help businesses cut costs, reduce downtime, and maintain better control over their operations.

Kia also highlighted the PV5’s growing list of awards, including titles such as Best Electric Van, Van of the Year, and a Guinness World Records achievement for the greatest distance travelled by a light duty electric van with maximum payload on a single charge. With its 71.2 kilowatt hour battery loaded to 665 kilogrammes, the PV5 managed 693.38 kilometres.