Kia fields a pair of all-electric camping concepts, the PV5 WKNDR and EV9 ADVNTR

When Kia pitched its new PV5 concept van with the promise it would be launched in 2025, the camper van community sat up and took notice. The South Korean company’s acknowledged expertise in EVs, combined with its exceptional, unsentimental and progressive design values, indicated that the PV5 could be the solid basis of a new generation of all-electric camper vans.

To stoke further excitement, Kia took to the halls at the 2024 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas with two bespoke concept cars, the EV9 ADVNTR and PV5 WKNDR. Apart from the rather passé absence of vowels, the two concepts showcase how the company’s current SUV flagship and future commercial star could become electrified lifestyle vehicles.

First up, the ADVNTR. The Kia EV9 is handsome, spacious and competent, and in the hands of the team at Kia Design Center America (KDCA) in Irvine, California, this three-row SUV has been given added powers in the form of 3-inch raised suspension, way more rugged tyres and wheels and a new roof platform. The last follows the current trend for car-top camping – combined with the relative simplicity of the other mods, it implies the ADVNTR would be easy to put into production.

The PV5 WKDNR is a much more spatially sophisticated machine. The PV5 was released as part of Kia’s new generation PBVs (Purpose Beyond Vehicles), first shown earlier this year at CES 2024. While delivery and small businesses are the primary target market for these zero-emission, multi-purpose vans, there’s no such thing as a commercial vehicle that couldn’t be converted into a camper.

KDCA describes its WKNDR proposal as a ‘Swiss Army Knife on wheels’, with an integrated modular storage system, the ‘Gear Head’, that sits in your garage to keep all your kit organised when not needed on board. It’s a camper’s dream, with different elements like a mobile pantry and kitchen, off-roading tools and storage components that be added and removed as needed. A built-in compressor can do everything from inflate mattresses to adjusting the tyre pressures.

Kia is already well advanced with providing Vehicle to Load (V2L) technology, with a standard electric socket on board that enables to power appliances from the car’s battery pack, from vacuum cleaners to portable audio. The WKNDR aims to be even more self-sufficient, with onboard solar panels and the rather more conceptual ‘hydro turbine wheels’ that are store energy for recharging the batteries.

COO & EVP of Kia America Steven Center was on hand to reveal the vehicles to visitors at SEMA. ‘Our vehicles already help people live their active and adventurous lifestyles and it was fun to see just how far we could go with these latest concepts,’ he said, ‘The SEMA Show acts as a blank canvas for creativity and offers a glimpse into what Kia’s automotive future may hold.’

Kia EV9 ADVNTR and PV5 WKNDR, concept only, Kia.com