Kia’s electric van, the PV5, set a new Guinness World Record after driving over 430 miles on a single charge… with its max payload.
Kia’s electric van sets a new Guinness World Record
Who said electric vans couldn’t get the job done? Kia’s electric van just broke the Guinness World Record for the greatest distance travelled by a light-duty battery-powered electric van with maximum payload.
Powered by a 71.2 kWh battery, the Kia PV5 Cargo drove 430.84 miles (693.38 km) on a single charge. Even more impressive, it was carrying a full load. The electric van lasted nearly two days, covering 22 hours and 30 minutes of driving without charging.
Kia’s record-breaking run took place on September 30, 2025, in Frankfurt, Germany, using an unmodified PV5 Cargo L2H1 model.
The route was specifically designed to replicate real-world scenarios. Kia said the electric van covered over 36 miles (58.2 km) in the city, navigating traffic lights, intersections, and roundabouts, with typical city traffic. It also achieved an elevation gain of about 1,200 ft (370 meters).
Kia’s electric van completed the loop 12 times while carrying its max payload, finally coming to a stop on the twelfth run.
“Even if Kia is new to the LCV market, this record is a testament to the versatility and innovation behind Kia’s first PBV, showing that we are serious contenders,” Kia’s European boss, Marc Hedrich, said.
The fact that it ran for almost two full working days on a single charge, “speaks volumes about its real-world capabilities,” Hedrich added.
According to Kia’s internal tests, adding 220 lbs (100 kg) of payload reduces the PV5’s range by only around 1.5%.
Top comment by Brent Bolton
Impressive, but it's less commonly known that, unlike internal combustion, EV's use LESS energy in slow, around town driving. On the highway I expect the range will be around 200 miles. Still, that argues for the obvious economics of replacing around town delivery vehicles with EVs as soon as possible.
The PV5 is a midsize electric van and Kia’s first dedicated model from its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business. It’s built on Hyundai’s E-GMP.S architecture. The flexible EV platform supports several variants.
Kia currently sells the PV5 in Passenger (for personal use) and Cargo (for businesses). Over the next few years, it plans to introduce seven body types, including Light Camper, Wheelchair Accessible, and open-bed models.
The PV5 Cargo offers up to 4.4 m3 of load space and a max payload of 1,740 lbs (790 kg). It’s available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh, with WLTP driving ranges of 184 miles and 258 miles, respectively.
Kia plans to launch additional electric vans, including the larger PV7 in 2027 and the even bigger PV9, due out around 2029.
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