Kia is preparing to enter a future where the automobile will become a crucial component of a consumer’s life with the vehicle having Life Modules that can be swapped out to help it achieve a wide range of tasks. The Korean auto brand used CES 2024 to preview two of these concepts in the flesh, the PV5 and the PV1.
PV5, The Ultimate Vehicular Swiss Army Knife
While we had to wait until we were on the show floor itself to see the PV1, Kia chose to use their conference to unveil the PV5. The PV5 and the PV1 are part of a broader project that Kia calls Platform Beyond Vehicle (PVB) with the trio of vehicles being designed primarily for commercial applications. The styling here is roughly the same basic blueprint with all three PVs adopting a cube-like design with futuristic elements being sprinkled in. That included a front fascia-mounted LED display board capable of displaying messages as well as the PV5 badge. The rear of the van even features a battery indicator light that flashes on and off when the PV5 is low on battery life.
The party piece here though is the swappable “Life Modules” which use mechanical and electromagnetic elements to easily come on or off. This allows the PV5 in particular to be extremely flexible and not only does it come with several van-related modules (including a high-roof variant) but also a small pickup bed for certain hauling duties. The PVs also use a modular skateboard-style platform that allows the company to easily build a wide array of vehicles based on the length of the platform.
In addition to the PV5, Kia also showed off a smaller PV1 on the show floor with the pint-size cube on wheels largely being meant for last-mile deliveries with the PV1 transferring cargo from a PV5 or 7 before snaking its way through tight alleys and narrow roads to complete the delivery to a customer.
When Can We Buy One?
If Kia’s PBV-themed future sounds like your cup of exotic coffee, be prepared to wait a bit for your chance to get one. Kia claims that the PBV project will be done in three phases with the PV5 being the first piece in the puzzle. The company isn’t ready to announce official range or power numbers for the PV5 (or any of the other PVs for that matter) but did confirm that it is building a PBV dedicated facility in South Korea that will be up and running in 2025. When that happens, the plant is projected to produce 150,000 units a year.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.