Kia Europe has recruited Erhan Eren as PBV director to drive forwards its electric van strategy across Europe.

Erhan Eren, PBV director at Kia Europe

Eren will strengthen Kia’s long‑term Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy across the European region, guiding the strategic development and rollout of the Korean brand’s PBV portfolio and supporting its global ambition to “redefine commercial mobility”.

Eren, who will be based at Kia’s European headquarters in Frankfurt, brings almost two decades of international expertise in commercial vehicles and mobility leadership.

Commenting on LinkedIn, Eren said: “PBV is not simply a new product segment. It is a strategic shift in how we think about vans, fleet solutions and urban mobility.

“Over the past years, I’ve had the privilege to work across heavy and light commercial vehicle businesses, helping scale operations, partnerships and growth strategies. Now the opportunity is to shape a platform that can redefine the European LCV landscape.”

Eren takes the helm of Kia’s PBV division as it hits full stride, following a series of landmark achievements that includes the PV5’s prestigious 2026 International Van of the Year awards win.

Sjoerd Knipping, chief operating officer of Kia Europe, said: “Kia is emerging as a game‑changer in commercial electric mobility and our PBV approach offers the B2B market a new standard in purpose‑built solutions.

“With his extensive experience in commercial mobility and electrified fleets, Erhan Eren will play a vital role in driving the next chapter of Kia’s PBV strategy in Europe.”

Kia is working to disrupt the vans sector with its PBV line-up of purpose-built electric vehicles, vehicle conversion offerings and tech collaborations to reduce total cost of ownership while offering high operational flexibility.

The PBV rollout began in late 2025 with the PV5 Passenger five‑seater MPV and PV5 Cargo (L2/H1), followed by the PV5 Chassis Cab unveiled at Solutrans 2025. Larger PBV models, including PV7 and PV9, will follow as part of Kia’s long‑term aim to achieve global annual sales of 250,000 electric PBVs by 2030.

In the UK, Kia is rolling out a network of 60 PBV centres to supply sales, aftersales and servicing for its electric vans.