Kia has driven its way into the record books with its all-new electric light commercial vehicle (eLCV), the PV5 Cargo, already setting a Guinness World Record just as it’s going on sale in the UK. It took the record for the longest distance travelled by a light-duty battery-powered electric van carrying its maximum payload on a single charge – a handy figure for a van.
Covering an impressive 693.38 kilometres (430.84 miles), the PV5 Cargo L2H1 Long Range model completed the feat on public roads north of Frankfurt, Germany, beating the preliminary range data on Kia’s website for this model with a 72kWh battery of 258 miles. The record was set under real-world urban driving conditions, avoiding long motorway runs (which would have seen the range drop considerably), and supervised by independent technical inspectors.
The achievement marks a strong debut for Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) line-up. Commenting on the record-breaking run, Marc Hedrich, President and CEO of Kia Europe, said: “Even if Kia is new to the LCV market, this record is a testament to the versatility and innovation behind Kia’s first PBV, showing that we are serious contenders.
“The fact that much of our target audience for this van variant could operate for almost two full working days on a single charge speaks volumes about its real-world capability.”
The record drive was carefully constructed to replicate the stop-start world of urban logistics. The 58.2km loop included traffic lights, roundabouts, intersections and elevation gains of around 370 metres – conditions familiar to most delivery van drivers. The PV5 repeated the loop 12 times before finally running out of charge – all while carrying its full permitted payload.
At the wheel of the record-breaking van were George Barrow, commercial vehicle journalist and UK jury member for the International Van of the Year Award, and Christopher Nigemeier, a senior engineer at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center and part of the PV5 development team.
“I was seriously impressed by how far the Kia PV5 can go: more than 430 miles on a single charge and with a full payload. That’s no small feat, and I have a feeling this record won’t be easy to beat,” said Barrow. “The PV5 and Christopher were great teammates for this challenge, and I’m proud to have been part of a record that pushes the boundaries for electric vans.”
Nigemeier added: “It became a friendly competition between us – who could squeeze the most out of each kilowatt-hour. In the end, it was the vehicle itself that impressed us both.”
The attempt was subject to strict scrutiny. Technical inspection firm TÜV Hessen and buck Vermessung oversaw the payload verification, while GPS tracking and in-cabin cameras documented the full 22-hour, 30-minute journey. The vehicle’s charging port and cargo compartment were sealed before the start to ensure compliance.
The PV5 Cargo is the first model in Kia’s new PBV family – a series of electric commercial vehicles based on the flexible E-GMP.S (Electric-Global Modular Platform for Service) architecture. The modular design means it can be configured in a variety of ways, including as a cargo van, passenger vehicle, chassis cab, crew van, wheelchair accessible vehicle or light camper.
The record-breaking model, the PV5 Cargo L2H1 Long Range four-door costs £37,725 for the Essential model and £38,817 for the better-equipped Plus model. The range starts at £34,299 for the PV5 Cargo L2/H1 Essential Standard Range model with a 51.5kWh battery – those prices include VAT.
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