Minivans are back, apparently, and this time they're electric. Sales of the humble breadbox on wheels were up 21 percent in 2025, which suggests the SUV-weary public is finally ready to admit that sliding doors are, in fact, superior.

Kia, which has sold its Carnival minivan in the US since 2021, is one of the few automakers bothering to make all-electric vans. This week at IAA Transportation in Germany, the Korean automaker revealed the PV7 - the second entry in its Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) lineup, following the PV5 "people mover" that went on sale in 2025. The PV7 is about 2 feet longer than the PV5 and comes in both passenger and cargo variants.

Technically, the thing is no slouch. It rides on Kia's dedicated PBV architecture (E-GMP.S) with a flat-floor layout for easy loading. Buyers get a choice of a 71.5kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery pack or a 96.2kWh one. Kia claims the Cargo Long-Range version manages 460km (285.8 miles) on the WLTP cycle - which tends to be roughly 10 - 20 percent more generous than the EPA's estimates. The 800-volt architecture enables a 10 - 80 percent charge in under 25 minutes on a 350kW DC fast charger, and vehicle-to-load outlets can power external tools and equipment. Infotainment runs on Kia's Android Automotive-based Pleos Connect OS, complete with Gleo AI natural-language voice controls.

The design is forward-looking enough to banish any lingering clunkiness concerns. The front end sports a two-tone look with a dark upper section wrapping around the windshield like a visor. The upright stance and tall, flat roof promise plenty of interior space for vanlife compartmentalization, while the low front bumper and plastic body cladding lend a rugged, practical border. Both variants get distinctive squarish multi-spoke wheels. It's not boring, but it won't challenge your worldview either.

Officially, the PV7 launches in Europe and Korea in the second half of 2027, with "additional markets, derivatives and conversion models to follow." Kia won't say whether the US is among them - though a version has been spotted testing stateside, according to Electrek.

PBV was introduced at CES 2024 as a family of EVs on a flexible architecture with swappable body types - minivan, full-size van, small truck - while the driver cab stays fixed. Think a real-life Duplo set, from a decidedly more optimistic era.

You can understand Kia's hesitation. The US minivan market isn't as red-hot as, say, lifted trucks that roll coal and grind up spandex-clad cyclists for breakfast. But times are changing, gas prices are going up and up, and a moderately priced electric van might just be the thing to heal our broken nation.