- Kia has built a police version of the electric PV5 for South Korean officers.
- A roof-mounted drone launches automatically when the van reaches a scene.
- Thermal imaging and a 90x zoom camera handle aerial suspect tracking.
The humble delivery van has come a long way. Kia’s PV5, until recently best known as a versatile electric workhorse, has been seconded into law enforcement. The company has signed on with the Korean National Police Agency to build a high-tech, AI-equipped patrol vehicle that also happens to carry a drone.
Visually, the PV5 already looks the part with its futuristic LEDs and sleek surfacing. For its new role, it wears a police livery with blue and yellow graphics over its black and white bodywork. The biggest party trick, though, is the roof extension housing an integrated drone station.
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When the PV5 pulls up to a scene, a section of the roof opens and an automated AI police drone takes flight. It handles aerial patrol in tight alleys and hazardous areas, the sort of places where the van itself, and indeed the officers, cannot or should not go.
The drone carries thermal imaging and a 90x zoom camera, useful kit for tracking suspects or finding missing persons. Once the job is done, it flies back to its dock and recharges using the van’s V2L system. As for the PV5 itself, no changes have been reported to the battery or electric powertrain.
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The roof structure also carries three AI-powered cameras providing 360-degree coverage with no blind spots. The software is clever enough to identify suspects by clothing or accessories, working through a crowd in real time and flagging up potential matches.
The AI can also detect specific threats like weapon-carrying individuals or injured citizens who may have fallen on the ground. It even includes crowd density monitoring to alert authorities for potential overcapacity risks in public spaces.
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The police-prepped Kia PV5 is scheduled to begin pilot operations in June 2026. It will be part of the Metropolitan Preventive Patrol Unit of the South Korean police force, focused on crime prevention and rapid response.
While this particular AI patrol vehicle is exclusive to Korea, it will be interesting to see whether the PV5 will serve as a base for police conversions in other parts of the world.
