Kia launches PV5 van in Japan, targeting Toyota
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- Kia launched its first electric van, the PV5, in Japan, marking its entry into the Japanese EV market.
- PV5 offers passenger five‑seater and cargo versions, with a turning radius of 5.5 m, dimensions 4,695 mm × 1,895 mm, and standard CHAdeMO charging.
- Kia partnered with Japanese trading firm Sojitz to operate Kia PBV Japan, which currently runs seven dealerships and 52 service centers.
- Kia plans to open its first directly managed dealership, Kia PBV Tokyo West, on May 15 and aims to have 11 stores and 100 service centers by the end of 2026, targeting sales of 1,000 electric vans.
- Kia noted that domestic brands Toyota, Honda and Nissan dominate 90 % of new‑car sales in Japan and have been slower to adopt EVs, creating a market gap.
- PV5 has already sold 8,113 units in Q1 2026, capturing 9.0 % of Europe’s light‑commercial EV market, and Kia targets 250,000 electric van sales per year by decade’s end.
- Japan aims to convert 30% of new‑car sales to EVs by 2030, a target Kia says the PV5 can help meet while addressing logistics and labor shortages.
Why it matters: The launch gives Kia a foothold in a market where domestic brands hold 90% of sales and have been slow to EVs, letting it tap a government‑driven 30% EV‑sale target while offering a new solution for logistics and labor shortages.
![The Kia PV5 is getting a bigger sibling: Here’s our first look at the PV7 [Video]](https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/06/Kia-PV7-EV-van-first-look.jpeg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1400)