Kia PV7 electric van debuts with 460-km range and 800-volt charging

Kia has revealed the PV7, a large electric van that brings passenger-EV charging hardware to a vehicle designed for cargo routes, shuttle work and fleet conversions.

Unveiled at IAA Transportation in Hannover, the PV7 will be offered as Cargo and Passenger models with 71.5-kWh or 96.2-kWh batteries, up to 200 kW (about 268 hp, or 272 PS) and a targeted WLTP range of more than 460 km (286 miles) in the long-range Cargo configuration.

The dedicated E-GMP.S platform uses an 800-volt electrical architecture. Kia says a 10-to-80-percent fast charge should take roughly 25 minutes on a 350-kW DC charger, although that figure and the range claim remain preliminary until homologation.

Kia’s full preliminary release says European and Korean sales are planned for the second half of 2027. Additional markets and derivatives will follow, but Kia has not announced the PV7 for Canada or the United States.

Kia PV7 preliminary specifications

The premiere van is the long-wheelbase body: 5,350 mm long, 1,995 mm wide and 1,990 mm tall, on a 3,500-mm wheelbase. Against Kia’s PV5, that is a much larger vehicle, aimed at the middle of the electric commercial-van market rather than the compact urban-delivery niche. Kia labelled the premiere figures as preliminary.

The PV7 Cargo will be offered in Compact, Long and High Roof forms. Image: Kia

The 800-volt system is the headline feature

Battery size answers how far a van can go. For a working van, the sharper question is how soon it can leave the charger and take the next route.

Kia is using the approach that set the EV6 and EV9 apart: a higher system voltage, so the van can accept high charging power without needing equally extreme current. On the 96.2-kWh pack, the claimed 10-to-80-percent stop in the mid-20-minute range is quick enough that a charge between shifts, or during a scheduled break, can be part of the working day.

The advertised time needs a compatible 350-kW charger, a battery at a suitable temperature and a curve that holds substantial power after the opening peak. A depot also needs grid capacity for more than one van. A single PV7 finishing a fast session is one result. A 30-vehicle fleet arriving at the end of an afternoon route is a different load on the same yard.

Parking is why Kia is offering two port locations. The standard front port takes AC and DC. An optional rear-side port adds AC, which can shorten cable runs where vans back into assigned stalls.

Vehicle-to-Load power, through interior and exterior outlets, is there for tools and other equipment. Service contractors, mobile workshops and event operators can use it in place of a separate generator when the electrical load is a light one.

Cargo capacity reaches eight cubic metres

The PV7 Cargo Long offers up to 6.1 cubic metres of load space under the VDA standard. A High Roof version increases that to 8.0 cubic metres, while the Long can carry as many as three Euro pallets and has a low 550-mm load height.

Payload depends on the body and configuration. Kia lists up to 1,165 kg for the Long and 1,200 kg for the Compact. Those are useful numbers, but fleets will need final curb weights and axle ratings before deciding whether the larger battery is worth its effect on payload.

The Cargo model will be offered with two or three front seats, twin-swing or lift-up rear doors, configurable floor materials and a heavy-load driving mode that adapts vehicle behaviour as payload changes. Replaceable bumper corners, wheel-arch sections and door cladding are designed to make minor damage easier to repair — an unglamorous detail that matters when downtime costs money.

Passenger versions seat up to nine

The global PV7 Passenger can carry as many as nine people, while an 11-seat version is planned for Korea. Kia describes crew, shuttle, rental, tourism and family use cases, with removable seats and several cabin layouts.

The Passenger model combines removable seating with a flat-floor layout. Image: Kia

The seven-seat model uses long rails and removable seats to create different passenger and cargo arrangements. Available equipment includes rear climate controls, power-sliding doors and 100-watt USB-C ports.

Up front, Kia pairs 12.9-inch and 14.6-inch displays with physical controls for frequently used functions. The Pleos Connect infotainment system runs on Android Automotive OS and supports over-the-air updates, connected navigation and business applications.

Pleos Connect is intended to combine regular infotainment with fleet and business applications. Image: Kia

Kia also plans a fleet-management portal covering vehicle location, battery status, charging, maintenance and driver data. Predictive diagnostics and proactive maintenance alerts sound less exciting than the 800-volt charging architecture, but they may be just as important to commercial buyers measuring uptime and total operating cost.

Kia plans 23 PV7 variants

The initial Cargo and Passenger vans are only the beginning. Kia says the PV7 family will eventually grow to 23 variants, including Compact, Long and High Roof cargo bodies, passenger models, a chassis cab and specialist conversions.

The company’s Flexible Body System uses a standardized vehicle structure to support different upper bodies and equipment. A common connector interface is intended to let conversion hardware communicate with and be controlled through the van.

The PV7 uses Kia’s dedicated E-GMP.S electric commercial-vehicle architecture. Image: Kia

That breadth is central to Kia’s “Platform Beyond Vehicle” plan. The smaller PV5 established the formula, the PV7 moves it into a higher-capacity class, and a larger PV9 is scheduled to follow in 2029.

Why the PV7 matters

The PV7 is not simply a taller passenger EV with the seats removed. Kia is treating charging speed, cargo access, repairability, conversion support and fleet software as parts of the same product.

That integrated approach could make the van a serious competitor in Europe, where electric commercial vehicles already face demanding urban routes and tightening emissions rules. The 460-km target is enough to cover many regional jobs on paper, while the 800-volt platform addresses one of the biggest operational objections to a large battery-powered van: charging downtime.

The unanswered questions are price, real-world efficiency under load, final towing capacity, cold-weather performance and service support. Kia has also left North American availability open. A van this size could suit airport shuttles, delivery fleets and trades in Canada and the U.S., but market-specific charging hardware, certification and dealer support would all need to be confirmed.

For now, the PV7 is a Europe-and-Korea product with unusually ambitious charging specifications and a clear 2027 arrival window. If Kia can deliver the promised range, charge time and conversion ecosystem at a competitive price, established electric vans may have a formidable new rival.

The MotorLinks take

A fleet that can wait for the European and Korean launch should ask Kia for the final price, the efficiency under load, the tow rating and the curb weight with each battery, because payload moves with the pack. The fast-charge claim belongs in the same meeting as the yard’s power capacity, since one van on a high-power stall is a different problem from a whole shift arriving together. Operators in Canada and the United States should ask whether Kia will certify the van, name a charging connector and put a dealer behind it before they write it into a replacement plan.

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