The new electric Kia PV5 Cargo van has achieved a new Guinness World Record for battery range.
With its 72.1kWh battery fully charged and a maximum payload on board, the Kia PV5 covered 693.3 kilometres – equivalent to 430.8 miles.
Behind the wheel of the Kia was George Barrow, an award-winning commercial vehicle journalist from Van Reviewer. He was joined by Christian Nigemeier from Hyundai.
Impressively, the record was broken in real-world conditions, driving on public roads near Frankfurt in Germany.
A real-world record breaker
The route used for the record-setting run was deliberately chosen to replicate what an electric van driver might encounter each day. Roundabouts and traffic lights were included, along with an arduous elevation gain.
When developing the PV5, Kia’s engineers found that every 100kg of additional payload reduced the van’s range by 1.5 percent.
Carrying its maximum payload of 2,652kg, the Kia PV5 managed 12 laps of the test route before finally coming to a stop. The journey itself took 22 hours and 30 minutes, with GPS and in-cab cameras to document the run.
Marc Hedrich, president and CEO of Kia Europe, commented: “The fact that much of our target audience could operate for almost two full working days on a single charge speaks volumes about its real-world capability. The PV5 combines efficiency, flexibility and intelligent connectivity in one package.”
Extending the range of electric vans
“I’m genuinely excited to have been part of this incredible Guinness World Records achievement. It was a demanding but unforgettable journey,” said George Barrow after the record-breaking run.
“I was seriously impressed by how far the Kia PV5 can go: more than 430 miles on a single charge and with a full payload. That’s no small feat, and I have a feeling this record won’t be easy to beat. The PV5 and Christopher were great team-mates for this challenge. I’m proud to have been part of a record that pushes the boundaries for electric vans.”
“As an engineer, this challenge was both technical and personal,” said Christopher Nigemeier, senior engineer at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre.
“George brought an incredible amount of driving experience from testing other vans, while I had the advantage of knowing the PV5’s powertrain inside out. It became a friendly competition between us – who could squeeze the most out of each kilowatt-hour.”
Kia will display the record-breaking PV5 Cargo at next month’s Solutrans Tradeshow in Lyon, France.
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