You may not know it, but minivans are making a comeback in the US. Look around, and you’ll start to notice an uptick in these breadboxes on wheels. Sales were up 21 percent in 2025, suggesting that the humble minivan is shaking off its “uncool” stigma and finding new fans among an SUV-weary public. I’m here for it. One of the companies currently carrying the torch for minivans is Kia, which has sold its popular Carnival minivan here since 2021.
Kia is also one of the few automakers making all-electric vans. This week, the Korean automaker rolled out its new PV7 at IAA Transportation in Germany. This is the second electric van from Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) lineup, following the PV5 “people mover,” which went on sale in 2025. The PV7 is longer than the PV5 by about 2 feet and comes in two variants, one for passengers and one for cargo.
All of which is to say that Kia should bring its increasingly interesting electric vans to the US. If they are attractively priced — and this is Kia, so it’s safe to assume that’s possible — I really think these vans would do numbers. The people yearn for a moderately priced electric van! [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The-Kia-PV7-Passenger.png?quality=90&strip=all]
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The PBV vans are technically impressive on several levels.
They’re built on Kia’s dedicated PBV architecture (E-GMP.S)
They’re built on Kia’s dedicated PBV architecture (E-GMP.S) that features a flat-floor layout for easy loading and unloading. The PV7 will come with a 71.5kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack or a 96.2kWh one. Kia claims the Cargo Long-Range version will get 460km (285.8 miles) on the generous WLTP cycle (which tends to be around 10–20 percent more generous than the EPA’s estimates).
It’s built on an 800-volt architecture, which enables 10—80 percent charging in under 25 minutes using a 350kW DC fast charger. And it supports vehicle-to-load outlets to power external tools and equipment. The infotainment runs on Kia’s Android Automotive-based Pleos Connect OS, which includes its Gleo AI natural-language voice controls. [Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/The-Kia-PV7-Cargo-driver-seat-and-Loading-space-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all]
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This all sounds great!
And the design is just forward-looking enough to erase any concerns about the typical clunkiness of van ownership. The front end features a distinctive two-tone design with a dark upper section that wraps around the windshield, giving it a visor-like appearance. The upright look and tall, flat roof suggests a large interior space perfect for vanlife compartmentalization. The low front bumper and plastic body cladding around the base add a rugged, practical border.
Both the passenger and cargo versions feature distinctive
Both the passenger and cargo versions feature distinctive wheels with a squarish multi-spoke design. It’s not boring, but it’s not so in your face as to challenge your worldview. While Kia’s not saying whether the PV7 will be making its way to the US anytime soon, a version has been spotted testing in the US, according to Electrek. Officially, the van will be launched in Europe and Korea in the second half of 2027, with “additional markets, derivatives and conversion models to follow.”
PBV was introduced during CES 2024 as a family of EVs built on a flexible vehicle architecture with different swappable body types.
The vehicle can be transformed from a minivan to a full-size van to a small truck, depending on the specific need. The driver cab remains fixed, while the rest of the vehicle is interchangeable, like a real-life Duplo set. Of course, that was a concept from a different era. We’ve now veered into a darker timeline, at least for EVs. I get why Kia would hesitate to name the US as a future market, what with our well-documented history of cutting off our nose to spite our face.
The minivan market may not be as red-hot as, say, the one for lifted trucks that roll coal and grind up spandex-wearing cyclists for breakfast. But the times, they are a-changing. Gas prices are going up and up. And an electric van could just be thing that finally heals our broken nation. Images: Kia
