Kia has officially cemented the PV5 Cargo as a top contender in the electric light commercial vehicle (eLCV) market, announcing that the van has set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for range and efficiency under heavy-duty conditions.
The all-electric Kia PV5 Cargo successfully achieved “The greatest distance travelled by a light-duty battery-powered electric van with maximum payload on a single charge” by covering an unprecedented 693.38 km (430.84 miles).
The record-breaking run was no simple laboratory test; it was designed to prove the vehicle’s real-world efficiency for commercial operators:
- Vehicle: The PV5 Cargo Long Range 4-door variant, equipped with a 71.2 kWh battery.
- Payload: The van carried its maximum authorized payload of 665 kg throughout the entire 22-hour, 30-minute journey.
- Conditions: The drive took place on public roads north of Frankfurt, Germany, navigating a loop that included traffic lights, intersections, roundabouts, and an elevation gain of approximately 370 meters per circuit, replicating the daily realities of delivery and logistics.
This distance marks a significant increase over the previous electric van range record, showcasing the PV5’s superior engineering and the efficiency of Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) line-up.
Marc Hedrich, President and CEO of Kia Europe, highlighted the commercial significance of the achievement. “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,” he stated.
The successful record attempt—verified by independent inspectors and continuously monitored—serves as a powerful marketing tool to convince businesses to transition from diesel to electric. Kia’s internal testing further supports this efficiency, indicating that an additional 100kg of payload reduces the PV5’s range by only about 1.5 per cent.
The record-breaking Kia PV5 Cargo is set to be displayed publicly at the Solutrans Tradeshow in Lyon, France, in November 2025, as Kia continues to build its long-term strategy of becoming a major player in the eLCV sector.
