Commercial Vehicles "Kia Offers the Largest EV Platform for Vans"

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Better air in cities and less CO₂—electric vans are the future, according to Kia's COO in Europe. However, he still sees tasks for policymakers.

With the PV5, Kia is entering the global commercial vehicle market. The Koreans aim to develop a complete ecosystem of fleet and charging solutions around the electric transporter. At Solutrans in Lyon, we spoke with COO Sjoerd Knipping about the strategy and the challenges of entering the market.

Mr. Knipping, Kia is a newcomer in the field of light commercial vehicles. What is the biggest challenge when entering the European market?

Clearly, the varying pace of electrification. Some countries have made significant progress, while others are still at the beginning. Sooner or later, however, the entire market will be electrified, both passenger cars and transporters. The big picture of fast charging and public AC charging is crucial. For commercial users, however, depot charging is the most important component. Vehicles can be charged overnight without interrupting daily operations. Another challenge is the uncertainty surrounding government subsidy programs. Sometimes subsidies are available, and then they are withdrawn again. I would like to see more stable and consistent policies within the EU. Overall, however, we see electrification as an opportunity. With our new commercial vehicles, we are now reaching fleets that previously did not include Kia passenger cars in their lineup.

With the PV5 chassis, you refer to the first e-chassis in the C-segment. What does that mean concretely?

We don't claim to be the first in electric transporters. However, we offer the largest and first platform of this kind in the C-segment. Despite compact exterior dimensions, up to 280 cubic feet of loading volume are possible. This is a noticeable advantage because there are no compromises on wheelbase or body length. Our EV platform enables low entry heights and an excellent ratio of exterior size to loading volume. Other competitors will eventually take this step as well.

Part of the conversions is done in Korea, part in Europe. How is the distribution?

Certain niche models are produced directly at the factory, such as a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, a crew transporter, or a station wagon variant specifically developed for Uber in Korea. For the customer, this means a seamless ordering and delivery model with just one invoice. Additionally, we naturally collaborate with European partners like Sortimo, Bott, and others, even offering single-invoice solutions depending on the country.

Will Kia also support companies in other ways when they switch to e-vehicles, for example with depot charging solutions?

Yes, we will roll out such charging solutions on a country-specific basis. Additionally, Kia Charge is available with over one million public charging points across Europe. However, the PV5 is also an LCV with its own business ecosystem. Customers can use both our own and cross-brand services tailored to the diverse needs of business clients. Through a central interface, programs like Fleet Suite or Charge Business can be activated, and real-time information about fleet status or maintenance needs can be accessed. We complement this with our own fleet management system, which also allows the management of fleets with vehicles from different brands.

For his, Kia needs a large service network. So far, however, Kia operations are only geared towards passenger cars.

We are utilizing our existing network of more than 2,000 partner operations in Europe, around 650 of which are already certified for PBV. Service is central in the business of light commercial vehicles because uptime determines economic success. In Germany, we will have around 100 PBV partners by the end of the year. Only if regional gaps arise will we involve additional dealers.

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