The Kia PV5 Cargo has officially broke a Guinness World Record title for achieving "the greatest distance travelled by a light-duty battery-powered electric van with maximum payload on a single charge is 693.38km".
Kia's first dedicated electric light commercial vehicle, the PV5 Cargo scored the record-breaking achievement in September under authentic real-world conditions on public roads north of Frankfurt, Germany. The PV5 Cargo Long Range variant, featuring a 71.2kWh battery, was utilised for the trial with its maximum authorised payload of 665kg, and covered 693.38km on a single charge.
At the wheel of the record-setting PV5 were George Barrow, a commercial vehicle journalist who specialises in vans and Christopher Nigemeier, a senior engineer at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center.
The record route was carefully designed to replicate the daily realities of delivery and logistics operations. Over a 58.2km urban and extra-urban loop, the PV5 Cargo faced traffic lights, intersections, roundabouts, and typical city traffic — mirroring the conditions most drivers encounter every day.
On top of this, the van repeatedly tackled an elevation gain of approximately 370 metres, completing the loop 12 times while carrying its full payload, and finally coming to a stop within the twelfth loop.
Kia says the challenging conditions underscore the PV5 Cargo’s superior efficiency and reliability.
The Kia PV5 Cargo arrives in Ireland this December and is priced from €33,230 ex-VAT.
