Kia’s first electric van ‘unboxed’ and ready to take on the world
The PV5, Kia’s first electric van, was “unboxed” after arriving in parts of Europe this week. After opening pre-orders in new markets, the PV5 is ready to take on the world.
Kia’s first electric van unboxed in Europe
It’s not just a futuristic-looking electric people mover, but the PV5 is the first van from Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business.
Kia opened pre-orders for the PV5 in the UK earlier this year, starting at £32,995 ($44,000). Now, it has officially arrived in a few more European markets.
The PV5 went on sale with pre-orders opening in Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, and other global markets. In Germany, the PV5 Passenger is priced from €38,290 ($45,000) or €249 per month. In France, it starts at €39,550 ($46,300).
Kia Sweden posted a video on social media of the PV5 arriving on a car carrier with the caption “Unboxed, washed, and ready to face the world!”
Kia’s electric van is available in Passenger (for everyday use) and Cargo (for businesses) with various seating options.
The PV5 Passenger is offered with two battery packs: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, rated with WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. Although it has the same battery pack options, the Cargo variant is rated with ranges of 181 miles and 247 miles.
During its PV5 Tech Day last month, Kia announced plans to launch seven PV5 body types, including a Light Camper, an Open Bed (similar to a pickup), and a premium “Prime” version.
After launching the PV5 in its home market, Kia will begin delivering the vehicle in Europe and other global markets over the next few months.
For those in the US, Kia has yet to say if it will launch the PV5 in the States. It was spotted testing in the US again last month, but it would face hurdles due to Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles from South Korea.
Kia builds all PBVs at its Hwaseong EVO plant in South Korea. The plant can produce up to 150,000 units a year. In its first full sales year, Kia aims to sell around 3,000 to 4,000 PV5s. Kia will expand its electric van lineup with the larger PV7 in 2027 and PV9 in 2029.
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The spiritual successor to the beloved Chevy Geo Tracker, production of the new-for-2026 electric Spark EUV has officially begun in Brazil with more than 200 miles of range.
That’s right, kids. To know the Chevy Tracker is to love the Chevy Tracker. The tiny, top-heavy Suzuki-based SUV combined bold colors, fun styling, (relatively) good fuel economy, and real off-road chops (especially in ZR2 trim) with an affordable price tag to make the Tracker an early favorite among the serious rock-crawling crowds.
Like, really
While it’s still too early to tell whether or not the all-new Chevy Spark EUV will come even close to that little proto-SUV, it seems we won’t have to wait much longer to find out – GM Authority reports that production of the 2026 Chevy Spark EUV has officially begun at Comexport’s Planta Automotiva do Ceará (PACE) plant, in the state of Ceará, Brazil.
GM Brazil invested the equivalent of $73 million to get the PACE factory ready to assemble GM’s modern, zero-emissions Chevy crossover for the South American and Middle Eastern markets – an investment big enough to earn a visit from Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was on-hand for the December 3rd kickoff event.
“It’s not a car factory,” said Comexport Vice President and PACE shareholder, Rodrigo Teixeir. “(The) goal is to develop technology there, not simply assemble a vehicle.”
Production of the new Spark EUV began last week, with production of the equally new Chevy Captiva EV set to begin as early as Q1 of 2026.
2026 Chevy Spark EUV
The Made in Brazil Chevrolet Spark EUV is heavily based on the Chinese Baojun, and is powered by that vehicle’s single 75 kW (101 hp), 180 Nm (130 lb-ft) motor driving the front wheels. Power comes from the Baojun’s 42 kWh LFP battery that, with regenerative braking, is good for up to 360 km (220 miles) on the NEDC driving cycle.
Weirdly, the new Spark is also equipped with a 10.1″ infotainment screen and 8.8″ digital instrument cluster (above) that supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard – technology that GM claims lead to “unsafe” driver behaviors in North America.
Let us know what you think of the little electric SUV, and whether or not you think it would be a hit in the US (it would) in the comments.
SOURCE: GM Authority; images by GM, Harry Situations.
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A federal judge in Massachusetts today ruled that the Trump administration’s ban on new offshore wind projects in federal waters is illegal.
Judge Patti B. Saris of the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts wrote that Trump’s executive order banning leasing of federal lands and waters for new wind farms is “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law.”
Attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, DC, filed a lawsuit in May against the memorandum halting federal approvals of wind energy development, which was supported by industry and public interest groups.
The Attorneys general claimed that the halt “harms the States’ efforts to secure reliable, diversified, and affordable sources of energy to meet the ever-increasing demand for electricity; their billions of dollars in investments in supply chains, workforce development, and wind-industry-related infrastructure, including transmission upgrades; and their statutory- and policy-based efforts to protect public health and welfare from harmful air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, as well as greenhouse-gas emissions.”
Because of Trump’s ban, at least seven offshore wind farms in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic have been paused, as well as several others at earlier stages of development. Offshore wind has been a crucial part of the Northeastern states’ plans to transition to renewables, due to their geography and the plentiful wind in the winter. The region also heavily relies on natural gas, which is subject to price fluctuations.
Ted Kelly, director and lead counsel, US Clean Energy at Environmental Defense Fund, said, “We should not be kneecapping America’s largest source of renewable power, especially when we need more cheap, homegrown electricity. Striking down this unlawful ban gives relief to the communities and workers who need affordable power, local investment and jobs from wind projects that have been stuck in limbo.”
As a result of the Trump administration’s “arbitrary” policies, BloombergNEF reduced its forecast of new offshore wind power coming online by 2035 by 56%. And while the ruling is good news for the wind industry, it doesn’t mean the federal government is required to approve projects. And let’s face it: Foreign renewable companies aren’t exactly going to come running back to the US to do business. (Just today, for example, Denmark’s Eurowind Energy announced it’s shutting its US office, citing “political uncertainty.”) But at least offshore wind is no longer banned.
Oceantic Network CEO Liz Burdock said, “We thank the Attorneys General and the Alliance for Clean Energy New York for taking this case forward to protect American business interests against the politicization of our energy sector.”
Read more: Trump just killed all offshore wind zones as US power needs surge
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