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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The record was achieved while carrying the PV5 Cargo’s authorised maximum payload of 665 kilograms throughout the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The attempt was verified by T\u00dcV Hessen and Buck Vermessung, who supervised the loading and confirmed weight compliance. The vehicle\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was seriously impressed by how far the Kia PV5 can go: more than 690 km on a single charge and with a full payload,\u201d said Barrow. Nigemeier added: \u201cAs an engineer, this challenge was both technical and personal [\u2026] In the end, it was the vehicle itself that impressed us both.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cThe Guinness World Record achieved by the PV5 Cargo is a milestone that embodies Kia\u2019s vision of creating mobility solutions that go beyond transportation,\u201d said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO of Kia Corporation. \u201cThis remarkable accomplishment proves that our Platform Beyond Vehicle is not only innovative in concept but also practical and efficient in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n