I’ve driven Kia’s debut electric van and it’s one of the most convincing electric people-movers out there

The PV5 is a real Buzz kill (er)

22 Dec 2025, 12:00 · TechRadar

Features By Leon Poultney published 22 December 2025

(Image credit: Kia) Share Share by:

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For large families and lovers of an outdoor active lifestyle, very little comes close in terms of practicality and versatility than a van.

Full disclosure: I run a diesel-powered Volkswagen Transporter (apologies, Earth) as a daily, purely because it’s the best thing to fit kids, mountain bikes, surfboards and the odd broken down motorcycle onboard. You can keep your SUVs, they just can't compete on roominess.

Up until this point, the electric van market has been relatively slow to catch up with its passenger car counterpart, with the likes of Ford electrifying its popular Transit Custom and E-Tourneo, while Citroën also offers an ë-SpaceTourer in Europe.

But these feel distinctly van-like. As if the company merely shoehorned some battery packs and an electric motor inside whatever commercial vehicle they happened to have lying around.

(Image credit: Kia)

Arguably, the VW ID Buzz, with its funky exterior looks and retro touches, was the first to truly appeal to the non-business buyer, but even that vehicle has its issues. The efficiency is poor, the asking price is astronomical and there isn’t actually that much room inside.

Kia thinks it can capitalize on this, which is why it has invested eye-watering sums of money into its Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) EV skateboard chassis, which will eventually underpin a whole host of commercial and lifestyle vehicles.

Small vans, large vans, vans with fridges and pizza ovens on the back, pick-up truck vans, vans that can transport people, and vans that are easily accessible for wheelchair users are all on the way very soon.

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