Kia is set to branch out into medium and large-sized electric vans and people-mover/minivans in Australia from the middle of this decade, following the successful trial of the Niro PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle).
With supplies of the limited-run old-shape Niro Plus PBV now depleted, the local arm of the company has revealed its intentions to get in on the coming range of EV workhorse models, slated for production from 2025.
According to Kia Australia product planning manager, Roland Rivero, strong demand for the toe-in-the-water Niro Plus, combined with the growing number of electrified commercial vehicle options, are paving the way for the brand’s next-generation of EV PBVs in this country.
“We were one of the test markets for (Niro Plus PBV),” he said. “There are no more to come. There was only a very short period of supply, and all are sold. It was an experiment, and the quantities all went.
“Mr (Kia Corporation CEO Ho Sung) Song, in the presentation of the global plan and strategy, does speak of PBV evolving beyond the Niro PBV, and naturally for Australia we want to join that journey as it evolves.
“That won’t be the last PBV, but it will be a different execution.”
And different execution is the key.
Kia, with partner Hyundai, is currently developing a dedicated EV skateboard platform known as “eS”, featuring a high degree of modularity built-in. This is to enable a broad range of size, body shape and interior configuration flexibility, as well as boost economies of scale for affordability.
The first Kia-branded cab off the rank will be a mid-sized PBV model known internally as ‘Project SW’.
To be unveiled in 2025, the boxed-shaped EV is believed to be about the size of a Renault Kangoo and Peugeot Partner, and will focus on the delivery, ride-share/taxi and what Kia calls “business-to-business” transaction industries.
To that end, Kia says it features “… excellent load structure and spacious indoor space that reaches the height of an adult”, and is expected to offer multiple as well as flexible seating arrangements.
After that, a larger model to take on the likes of the Ford e-Transit, Mercedes-Benz Vito Electric and LDV eDeliver9 is planned, aimed at businesses specialising in “…logistics, fresh food delivery, multi-seat shuttles, and mobile offices and stores,” according to Kia.
Smaller city-sized PBVs are also said to be in the pipeline as the decade draws to a close, along with mid-sized robotaxis featuring autonomous driving technology. Whether these make it to Australia is not yet known.
With Kia sharing PBV models with parent company, Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), the total number of EVs planned by 2030 under the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands is 31.
That should translate into 3.64 million EVs annually by the end of the decade, making HMG a top-three EV manufacturer worldwide.
To help make all this a reality, a dedicated eco-friendly factory at Kia’s Hwaseong plant in South Korea is currently under construction. Among other innovations, it is said to include highly flexible manufacturing methods to help boost efficiency, dramatically improve working conditions and further keep costs down – the latter being a vital factor in the market acceptance of PBVs.
Annual output will set at 150,000 units, at least initially, when production commences in the second half of 2025.
Whether Kia’s PBVs will be more-widely available than the businesses-only Niro Plus was has yet to be determined.
Keyword: Attention Uber, Deliveroo and Amazon: Kia PBV van and minivan electric car range shape up for Australia to take on Renault Kangoo and Ford e-Transit