The Consumer Electronics Show is proving to be quite the treat for automotive enthusiasts and now we have had a glimpse at Kia’s electric PV5 bakkie concept that could be a cool proposition for urban businesses. Unpopular locally, electric vehicles are last on the agenda of the buying masses.
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Combine that silent and zero-emissions recipe with the utilitarian bakkie and there will be an uproar. Regardless, Kia has debuted a line-up of customisable and interchangeable electric vans which it will consider introducing in the coming year. While the technical details of Kia’s PBV electric van program remain undisclosed, a concept rendering of a midsize van presented at the Consumer Electronics Show hints at the possibility of it being offered as a bakkie too.
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Kia CEO Ho Sung Song, during CES, confirmed that the midsize PV5 models, set to enter production in 2025 with a starting price of approximately $35 000 (around R650 000), might include an open bed variant which has also been widely shown throughout presentations and promotional videos on the modular architecture. While details on the PV5 project are scarce, concept vehicles displayed through the presentation may not make it into production.
“The PV5 pickup truck is not fixed yet. This is just one example of a model based on the chassis cab model. The pickup is just one of these varieties of the PV5 chassis cab model. It’s not fixed yet, but we can try,” stated Song.
While Kia has already announced plans to launch two bakkies within the next three years, the electric PV5 bakkie doesn’t perfectly align with these upcoming models. Nevertheless, its unique design elements shared by the rest of the PV siblings, such as the shorter nose maximising wheelbase for enhanced utility and modular construction allowing body swaps, make it an interesting proposition.
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Get a closer look on how the modular system would work below.
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The post Kia’s PV5 May Be A Bakkie Ready For the World By 2025 appeared first on CAR Magazine.
