Kia Debuts 2 Electric Adventure Vehicle Concepts at SEMA

EVs are getting better and better at being off-road adventure vehicles, and Kia just debuted two concepts that give us a glimpse of the future in this space. The closest to production is the EV9 ADVNTR Concept EV SUV, but the most impressive — and, sadly, very unlikely to make it to production — is the PV5 WKNDR Concept EV Van 1.

Kia EV9 ADVNTR Concept EV SUV

The ADVNTR Concept is built on an actual production Kia EV9. The concept build takes the family-hauling three-row electric SUV and adds some adventure chops.

It has a 3-inch lift and large, rugged wheels and tires. Custom front and rear facias, as well as reinforced rocker panels, complete the aggressive off-road looks. A custom roof rack is ready for your adventure sports gear or a rooftop tent.

While this is just a concept car, it doesn’t look that far away from being production-ready. It’s also the general formula that most automakers are throwing at all their vehicles lately — chunky plastic cladding, big aggressive tires, a small lift, and some undercarriage protection.

Kia PV5 WKNDR Concept EV Van 1

While the EV9 ADVNTR Concept looks like something that could find it’s way into production, the PV5 WKNDR Concept EV Van 1 is very far from it. Sadly, there are no current plans for Kia to bring any PBV chassis vehicles to North America.

The WKNDR concept van is a futuristic delivery van infused with off-road capability and luxury camping amenities. It’s pretty much the same formula used in every adventure van today, minus the future and EV stuff.

Of course, the van gets off-road capability by way of a lift, off-road tires, onboard compressor, and a fancy winch. The winch is controlled and monitored from a display in the front bumper which shows load forces and winch health information.

Kia compares this super-flexible adventure van concept to a “Leatherman multi-tool on wheels.” That flexibility comes via a slat-wall-like interior that Kia calls the “Gear Head” feature. It’s a storage solution that allows you to quickly move slat-wall fixtures from your garage wall in and out of your van. When pressed on how that would work in a moving vehicle, Kia engineers told me that the fixtures would be able to be locked in place.

To help with electricity needs while out on an adventure, the roof has solar panels, and the van has unique turbine generator wheels. The outer element of the wheel stays stationary — and offers a step to access the roof — while the inner part of the wheel acts as a wind turbine for power generation.

The side rails on the exterior of the van are electrified. This lets you quickly attach and power up things like lights, speakers, and induction cooktops.

While the passenger seat turns into a lounge chair, while currently, the driver seat doesn’t convert into camp mode. I asked Kia about this and was told they’re working on a new idea for this soon. So, I expect we’ll see updates to this concept in the future.

It’s hard not to like an off-road-capable, pop-top, super-configurable adventure van. Hopefully, our loud, approving voices will get Kia to bring something like this to market, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

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