Kia’s Platform Past Car idea: is it a van, a truck or an RV? It seems the reply is “all the above.” The idea that stole our hearts at CES 2024 this week represents Kia’s entry into the business automobile world, besides with electrical energy, software-driven fleet administration, a excessive diploma of customization and a modular, remodeling physique that enables one chassis to swimsuit many wants.
There was only one downside: how the “remodeling” half labored precisely felt a bit unclear. Thankfully, Kia confirmed off precisely how this works at its CES stand by demonstrating the concept with a transferring miniature set. Now, you possibly can see simply what the Korean automaker is as much as right here.
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Kia’s PV5 goals to reinvent supply automobiles
With out the constraints of getting to place an inner combustion engine someplace, automotive designers are, in idea, free to attempt way more experimental designs. The EV nature of Kia’s business automobile permits it to change into many several types of vans or vehicles relying on the duty at hand.
On this video, you possibly can see how the entrance half—the “driver zone”— on this supply van separates out from the interchangeable rear part known as a “life module.” A system of hydraulic lifts and rails strikes the life module backward, swapping it out with a pickup truck mattress. The rear wheels keep in place, as does the skateboard-like chassis that appears to deal with a battery module. On the finish, the truck mattress is secured into place, and the Kia PV5 is presumably free to scoot off and haul issues.
Replace: Here is one other video we missed from Kia that exhibits off the method.
This nearly goes with out saying, nevertheless it’s very unclear whether or not this miniature setup represents the precise modular body-swapping system a Kia PV5 might use—if it even goes to manufacturing with that setup, which alone can be a serious coup. Automakers have flirted with modular vehicles for a lot of many years, however their manufacturing feasibility has remained elusive.
But it surely’s nonetheless a really intelligent thought, unlocked by its EV structure. This is able to be little doubt trickier if an inner combustion engine and driveline had been concerned. Will it change into a actuality within the kind we see right here? We’ll discover out in 2025 when the PV5 makes its debut with an particularly tantalizing $35,000 goal worth.
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