Kia PV5 Cargo sets Guinness World Record
The record-breaking drive took place on 30 September 2025 on public roads north of Frankfurt, Germany, under real-world conditions. The test vehicle was the PV5 Cargo Long Range 4-door variant, equipped with a 71.2 kWh battery. The route, covering a 58.2-kilometre “urban and extra-urban loop” repeated twelve times, included city traffic, traffic lights, roundabouts, and a 370-metre elevation gain to reflect typical daily delivery operations.
The record was achieved while carrying the PV5 Cargo’s authorised maximum payload of 665 kilograms throughout the journey.
The attempt was verified by TÜV Hessen and Buck Vermessung, who supervised the loading and confirmed weight compliance. The vehicle’s battery was fully charged before departure, and both the charging port and cargo area were sealed for the duration of the 22-hour, 30-minute journey, with GPS tracking and in-cabin cameras documenting the run.
At the wheel of the record-setting van were George Barrow, a UK-based commercial vehicle journalist and member of the International Van of the Year jury, and Christopher Nigemeier, a senior engineer at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center.
“I was seriously impressed by how far the Kia PV5 can go: more than 690 km on a single charge and with a full payload,” said Barrow. Nigemeier added: “As an engineer, this challenge was both technical and personal […] In the end, it was the vehicle itself that impressed us both.”
“The Guinness World Record achieved by the PV5 Cargo is a milestone that embodies Kia’s vision of creating mobility solutions that go beyond transportation,” said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of Kia Corporation. “This remarkable accomplishment proves that our Platform Beyond Vehicle is not only innovative in concept but also practical and efficient in the real world.”
The Cargo variant of the PV5 launched on the European market earlier this year. It is the first model from the brand’s ‘Platform Beyond Vehicle’ strategy, which is aimed at innovative electric commercial vehicles based on its own platform, the E-GMP.S. It is a 4.70-metre-long electric van, which is very similar in length to a VW ID. Buzz with the standard wheelbase, and features a 400-volt system.
The newly lauded electric vehicle is offered in two trim levels with the choice of a standard-range 51.5kWh or long-range 71.2kWh battery pack. In its first full year of sales, 2026, Kia is aiming for over 3,000 sales of the PV5 Cargo.
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