Kia President Song Ho-sung: "The Main Game in Europe’s Commercial-Vehicle Market Begins with PV7" [IAA 2026]

【Financial News, Hanover (Germany) = Reporter Dongchan Kim】Kia president Song Ho-sung emphasized that the unveiling of the large purpose-built vehicle (PBV) PV7 marked "the beginning of the main game." After gaining experience in Europe’s electric-van market with its first model, PV5, Kia is now entering the fiercely competitive core market in earnest. Song said the ecosystem supporting customers’ overall business operations, rather than the vehicle’s product appeal alone, would determine the outcome.
Song met with Korean reporters at IAA Transportation 2026 in Hanover, Germany, on the 14th (local time), and said, "The PV7 market is a large market that is not easy to enter. I think the main game is now beginning."
There was a reason Kia launched PV5 first. Song explained, "We decided to launch PV5 first and PV7 afterward because competition in the market where PV7 belongs is that intense. We thought introducing PV7 first, without any market experience, would be extremely tough."
The CDV (Car Derived Van) market entered by PV5 has a scale of 700,000 to 800,000 units and was considered an area where Kia could demonstrate its competitiveness through the product itself. In fact, PV5 ranks first in Europe’s C-segment electric-van market, with a market share of around 30%. By contrast, the midsize van (MVAN) market targeted by PV7 is worth approximately 800,000 units and represents the core market for light commercial vehicles (LCVs).
The market outlook is also supporting the launch of PV7. Song said, "This year’s European LCV market is approximately 2.4 million units, of which electric vehicles account for about 360,000, or around 15%. We expect the number of electric vehicles to rise to approximately 800,000 by 2030, accounting for 30%." He estimated that South Korea’s LCV market, currently about 150,000 units, would see approximately 60,000 units, or 40%, become electrified by 2030.
Kia has set a target of selling 250,000 PBVs annually by 2030. Song stated, "Broadly speaking, PV5 will account for approximately 120,000 units, while PV7 and PV9 will account for approximately 130,000," adding, "We are preparing our plants accordingly." Kia plans to introduce Kia PV9 two years after the launch of PV7.
Kia has decided to exclude the U.S. market from its target markets for the time being. Song said, "Because driving distances are so long there, it is not easy to convert vehicles used for deliveries to electric vehicles. The U.S. is not currently a target, but we plan to sell PV7 in other regions, including the Middle East and Asia-Pacific." Kia plans to supply approximately 160 PV5 vehicles to a Dubai taxi company in the second half of this year.



Song identified the ecosystem as the key battleground. He said, "The PV7 market is not one where vehicles can be sold on the strength of the product alone; it is a market where you need to build a strong ecosystem to sell. Customers do not want only a good vehicle. They want an ecosystem that enables them to operate their businesses effectively." He explained that the key question was whether manufacturers could support customers with everything from downtime management, which reduces vehicle stoppages, to fleet management and data management.

Results are already emerging. Contracts for approximately 4,000 PV5 vehicles have been completed, and deliveries are underway. Swedish installation-services company Bravida accounts for more than 400 vehicles, U.K. mobility leasing operator Motability accounts for more than 300, and Finnish elevator company KONE accounts for approximately 300. Song expressed confidence, saying, "We are also negotiating orders for more than 17,000 vehicles and are in talks with more than 300 companies. These companies will become assets for PV7 in the future."

Kia is also continuing discussions with major global distributors. Song explained, "PV7 is particularly suitable for large distribution and delivery companies because it is a large delivery van. We have been communicating with these companies for a long time and are incorporating their requirements into the product in advance."

Regarding the offensive by Chinese manufacturers, Song emphasized that Kia would compete through quality, its service network, and customer management rather than price competition. He said, "Maxus is selling at a considerably lower price than existing OEMs, but there is a difference in terms of its network. Kia has more than 2,500 network locations in Europe, so we can manage downtime sufficiently."[email protected] Dongchan Kim Reporter