At this month’s New York International Auto Show, visitors crowded around a bright yellow van. The vehicle, painted in a typical yellow cab pattern with a sign atop that reads “TAXI,” looked ready to pull away from any Manhattan curb. Kia refers to it as the PV5 New York Taxi concept, and it is a full-size electric van that has been redesigned in collaboration with BraunAbility to make it easy for wheelchair users to enter and exit.
Engineers began with the standard PV5 passenger model and then added a ramp that slides out of the rear of the van. Once the ramp is down, a wheelchair can simply glide in without having to lift it or pass any challenging steps. Inside, four robust tie-downs hold the chair secure, while basic safety belts keep everyone safe throughout New York’s notorious stop-and-go traffic. The floor of the van is lower than the usual van, making it easy for passengers to climb in. A five-seat arrangement can accommodate four people, with enough room for a wheelchair and two more passengers.
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Power comes from the same electric setup as the standard PV5 marketed internationally. You have two battery options: a 51.5 kilowatt-hour pack for shorter stints and a larger 71.2 kilowatt-hour pack that will get you a lot further on a single charge. Real-world testing indicates that the larger battery has a range of around 200 miles in mixed city driving. That should be enough to go you through a whole day of hailing fares without stopping for a recharge. Fast charging from zero to 80% in 30 minutes is exactly what taxi drivers require. It also has front-wheel drive, so it handles like a dream, with around 190 horsepower in the longer-range version.
The van itself is small enough to fit into tight urban spaces, measuring 15 and a half feet long, 6 feet 3 inches tall, and riding on a wheelbase that provides stable handling without making you feel like a monster, and with sliding doors on the side and a wide rear opening, loading is a breeze in even the tightest spaces. Kia designed the platform with this type of conversion in mind, so it won’t eat up battery space or add needless weight.
BraunAbility, the company that has led the way in wheelchair conversions in North America for decades, collaborated with Kia on this project. As they say, it was a true partnership, as they spoke with people on the ground in the city and fine-tuned all the features, such as the ramp angle and the securement system, to get it exactly right for the frenetic speed of the streets. Fleets will also appreciate it, since the van’s modular architecture allows for easy transitions from passenger taxi employment during the day to light deliveries or ride-sharing in the evening.
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