Kia PV5 Cargo L2H1 electric 51.5kWh
Kia PV5 Cargo Essential 51.5kWh L2/H1 3Dr 2-Seat
The Kia PV5 Cargo Essential 51.5kWh L2/H1 3Dr 2-Seat has 184 miles of official range, a 795kg payload and 150kW rapid charging. List price £28,355 excluding VAT.
Electric · small van · L2 H1 · on sale
Dimensions
Price
Battery and range
Load
Charging
Ownership
| Warranty | 7 years/100,000 miles vehicle warranty; 8 years high-voltage battery[4] |
|---|
Kia PV5 Cargo L2H1 electric 51.5kWh price changes
Kia cut the list price of the PV5 Cargo Essential 51.5kWh L2/H1 3Dr 2-Seat by £2,500 to £28,355 excluding VAT in the price list THRIVE recorded on 17 September 2026.
| Date | Was | Now | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 September 2026 (recorded) | £30,855 | £28,355 | -£2,500 | Kia UK Limited |
List prices excluding VAT, from the manufacturer's own UK price lists. A date marked "recorded" is the day THRIVE took in a new price list that carried no date of its own.
Compare the Kia PV5 Cargo with
- Kia PV5 Cargo vs Ford Transit Custom: price, payload, load space and size side by side
- Kia PV5 Cargo vs Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo: price, payload, load space and size side by side
- Kia PV5 Cargo vs Vauxhall Vivaro: price, payload, load space and size side by side
- Volvo EX30 Cargo vs Kia PV5 Cargo: price, payload, load space and size side by side
THRIVE verdict
A small electric van with solid payload and urban range, suited to depot-based multi-drop work.
The PV5 Cargo Essential 51.5kWh is a small electric panel van with a gross vehicle weight of 2,650 kg and a payload of 795 kg, giving it decent load-carrying ability for its size. Load volume is 4.4 m³, and the braked towing capacity is 750 kg, useful for occasional trailer work alongside daily deliveries.
Official WLTP combined range is 184 miles, with energy use of 190 Wh/km on the same test cycle. AC charging tops out at 11 kW, while DC rapid charging can reach 150 kW, enough to take the battery from 10-80% in under 30 minutes on a suitable charger. That suits multi-drop urban and regional routes returning to a depot or home charger each night.
At £28,355 ex VAT and eligible for the plug-in van grant, this 51.5kWh version undercuts the 71.2kWh PV5 Cargo Essential, which costs £30,855 ex VAT but offers 258 miles range and 695 kg payload against this van's 795 kg. After the Zero Emission Van Grant, the electric version lists for £2,500 less than the 71.2kWh electric. Running costs depend on where it charges: cheaper on depot or home charging, more on public rapid chargers.
Best for
- Urban and regional multi-drop delivery work
- Fleets wanting decent payload in a small van
- Operators who can charge overnight at depot or home
Think twice
- 184 mile range limits longer routes
- Towing capacity modest at 750kg
- 71.2kWh version adds range but costs more and carries less payload
Written 8 October 2026 from the verified figures on this page and the rest of the THRIVE database, and checked figure by figure before publishing. How we check
Other Kia PV5 Cargo versions
| Version | Fuel | Payload | Range / economy | Price ex VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia PV5 Cargo L1H1 electric 51.5kWh | Electric | 800 kg | 179 miles | £27,355 |
| Kia PV5 Cargo L1H1 electric 71.2kWh | Electric | 700 kg | 251 miles | £29,855 |
| Kia PV5 Cargo L2H1 electric 71.2kWh | Electric | 695 kg | 258 miles | £30,855 |
Every length, roof and fuel side by side, with a configurator, on the Kia PV5 Cargo page.
What fits in the load area
| Euro pallets (1,200 x 800mm) | 2, in a single row |
|---|---|
| UK standard pallets (1,200 x 1,000mm) | 2, in a single row |
| 8 x 4 sheets (2,440 x 1,220mm) | Too long for the floor |
| Pipe, timber or ladders | Up to 2.2m on the floor |
Worked out from the verified floor length 2,255mm, 1,330mm between the wheel arches, 1,520mm high. At the full Euro pallet count, the payload allows about 390kg per pallet. Counts use the width between the wheel arches for the whole floor, so they never over-count. Door openings are not in our data: check the rear and side door apertures before relying on a count. Goods stacked on a pallet can stand up to about 1,370mm tall, allowing 150mm for the pallet itself.
Electric and diesel compared: L2 H1
| Electric (this van) | Electric | |
|---|---|---|
| Spec | Kia PV5 Cargo Essential 51.5kWh L2/H1 3Dr 2-Seat | Kia PV5 Cargo Essential 71.2kWh L2/H1 3Dr 2-Seat |
| List price (ex VAT) | £28,355 | £30,855 |
| Payload | 795 kg | 695 kg |
| Load volume | 4.4 m³ | 4.4 m³ |
| Range / economy | 184 miles | 258 miles |
| Towing (braked) | 750 kg | 1,500 kg |
Both at a typical fleet specification, from each manufacturer's UK price list; sources are on each van's page. For running costs per mile, see the Fleet Cost Index and van break-even.
Alternatives worth considering
- Direct competitorRenault Kangoo Van E-Tech LL21 E-Tech Advance RC Panel Van MY26.5£1,495 more.
- Direct competitorToyota Proace City Electric Icon Ply Lining, Medium Panel Van, Electric 50kWh Auto£2,898 more, 114kg less payload, 20.430000000000007 miles more official range.
- Combustion alternativeNissan Townstar Van L2 1.3 TCe Manual (6sp) 130HP AcentaPetrol, £4,215 cheaper.
- Direct competitorCitroën ë-Berlingo Van Panel Van XL Electric 136hp Automatic Enterprise-Plus£1,550 more, 104kg less payload, 0.5m³ less load space.
Chosen from published small vans in the THRIVE database with a similar load area; reasons compare verified figures only.
Head to head: Kia PV5 Cargo vs Ford Transit Custom · Kia PV5 Cargo vs Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo · Kia PV5 Cargo vs Vauxhall Vivaro · Kia PV5 Cargo vs Volvo EX30 Cargo · Kia PV5 Cargo vs Nissan Townstar · Kia PV5 Cargo vs Citroën Berlingo
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Sources
7 documents: Kia UK, Kia UK Limited, GOV.UK (OZEV)
- Kia UK, retrieved 16 October 2026. Supports: load length (at floor), load width between wheel arches, load height (maximum), overall length, overall width (excluding mirrors), overall height, payload, towing capacity (braked). kia.com/uk PV5 Cargo specification page (MY2027, re-read 16 Oct 2026), L2/H1 column. Missing on the van, documented. (Load width is published only as 'between lower suspension arch' 920 / 'between wheelarches' 1,330 / 'above wheelarches' 1,565, no maximum, so left blank as on the Farizon V7E.)
- Kia UK Limited, retrieved 17 September 2026. Supports: list price (excluding vat).
- GOV.UK (OZEV), retrieved 16 September 2026. Supports: zero emission van grant.
- Kia UK Limited, retrieved 17 September 2026. Supports: official range, test cycle, warranty.
- Kia UK (official digital brochure), retrieved 21 September 2026. Supports: energy use.
- Kia UK Limited, retrieved 17 September 2026. Supports: gross vehicle weight, ac charging (max), dc rapid charging (peak), rapid charge time.
- Kia UK, retrieved 16 September 2026. Supports: load volume.
About these figures
- Specifications verified: 16 October 2026, against the manufacturer documents listed under Sources.
- Latest source added: 16 October 2026, the last time a figure on this page was added or corrected.
- Verdict written: 8 October 2026. It uses only the verified figures here and the THRIVE database; every number in it is checked against those figures, and it is rewritten only when they change.
Specifications vary by trim, engine, battery, length and roof height; these are for the Kia PV5 Cargo Essential 51.5kWh L2/H1 3Dr 2-Seat as named, a typical fleet specification. Range is the official WLTP combined figure; real-world range in winter or fully loaded will be lower. Check the manufacturer's current price list before ordering. If a figure here has changed, tell us on our corrections page.