Kia showcases new electric commercial vehicle product line at CES 2024 According to foreign media reports, Kia has achieved good results in electric passenger cars in 2023 and now aims to make a mark in the electric commercial vehicle sector. At CES 2024, the company showcased upcoming electric vans, trucks, ride-sharing vehicles, and last-mile delivery vehicles, all of which will use a new modular platform. Furthermore, Kia’s electric commercial vehicles seem to have already attracted their first customer. At a press conference held on January 8, Pierre-Martin Bos, Vice President of Kia’s newly established PVB business unit, stated that the company has established a global partnership with Uber. Kia states that the new electric commercial vehicles will not only use a modular design for the powertrain system but also for the body. Kia claims that the driver’s cabin will be fixed, but other parts of the body can be replaced.
Kia calls the new body “life modules” that can connect to the chassis through a mechanical coupling and an electromagnet, but the company did not explain its working principle in detail. Kia also did not disclose the specific parameters of the new electric commercial vehicle, but the company said they are building a factory in South Korea specifically for producing such vehicles, with the new factory expected to start production in 2025. Kia expects an annual output of about 150,000 vehicles, but the global production of such vehicles may increase to 300,000 in the future.
The first model will be the Kia PV5, a futuristic three-row sedan expected to hit the road in 2025 with a price of around $35,000. Kia also released renderings of the larger PV7 set to launch in 2027, and the smaller, more futuristic PV1. The company also plans to launch a self-driving taxi version in 2028, with the possibility of eventually targeting regular consumers. Kia’s new electric commercial vehicle looks simple and practical, with a noticeable difference from the modern Staria van, but similar to the products of struggling self-driving startup Canno. Previously, Hyundai and Canno had a collaboration, but the latter’s CEO suddenly announced the cancellation of the partnership, vaguely citing the protection of the company’s intellectual property.