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Europe certainly has a hand up on the United States when it comes to electric RVs.
Iridium has been leading the way in these RVs’ development, and now we’re seeing more converted electric camper vans pop up across Europe and Australia. One U.S. company, Lightship Electric RV, hopes to have their electric RV hit American roads by the end of 2024.
Let’s look at this new brand and how the team has figured out this new technology and redefined travel.
What Is Lightship Electric RV?
Lightship Electric RV wants to create opportunities for a zero-emission road trip.
The company recently announced the launch of the Lightship L1, an aerodynamic, all-electric travel trailer. The power system architecture enables the L1 to propel itself so the tow vehicle actually has a mile-per-gallon efficiency loss.
In addition, Lightship Electric RV has designed the L1 with all-electric appliances and a residential-scale solar system. You can tow the trailer with an electric vehicle or one powered by gas or diesel.
Who Is the Lightship Electric RV Design Team?
The Lightship Electric RV design team includes alums from Tesla, Rivian, Proterra, Lucid, and Zoox. Their experience in automotive electric vehicle development and design has led to the development of a brand-new type of travel trailer.
Rob Williams is the Head of Creative, Eric Fields is the Principal Product Designer, Jessica Pastor is the Principal Designer of CMF (Color Material Finishes), and Matt Braun is the Senior Industrial Designer.
What Are the Different Trims Available in the Lightship Electric RV?
Lightship Electric RV has designed two different trims for the L1. The L1 Essential will have a 40-kilowatt battery pack and enough power for about a week of off-grid camping. It will also have up to 3 kilowatts of solar energy.
The L1 Long-Range will have an 80-kilowatt battery pack. But more than the extra batteries is the drive motor with self-propulsion.
This provides a huge advantage for drivers of electric vehicles because your electric vehicle (EV) won’t have to work as hard to pull the trailer. Since current EVs have a limited range, this technology and design will change the game.
What Does the Inside of the Lightship L1 Look Like?
The Lightship Electric RV L1 model provides many windows. Everywhere you stand, you have a view of the outside. A large seating area fills the front of the trailer, and the team has designed the space to be multi-functional with a pull-out bed. An app operates all of the functions and features in the trailer.
The bench seating extends into the center of the trailer as well. The bench also provides ample storage inside. A table is ideally placed here, which provides a designated eating area. But it also lowers to create a second sleeping space.
After the dining area sits the kitchen, equipped with a sink, refrigerator, and freezer, two-burner electric stovetop, microwave, and dishwasher. Across from the kitchen sits a long counter with storage cabinets and a built-in trash can. You’ll find plenty of room for meal prep in the Lightship L1.
Finally, in the rear of the unit lies the bathroom. It has a toilet, collapsible shelf, mirror, and shower. This spa bathroom features high ceilings, a rain showerhead, and porcelain floors.
This Lightship Electric RV trailer measures 27 feet in length, 7 feet 6 inches in interior height when opened in Camp Mode, and 6 feet 9 inches in height when switched to Road Mode. Its GVWR is 7,500 pounds.
Keep in Mind: Will Electric Vehicles Cause States to Charge by the Mile? Let’s dive in and see!
Where Will the Lightship L1 Be Manufactured?
Lightship Electric RV recently announced the next production phase and released the details about the facility in Colorado. The company now leases a 32,000-square-foot facility in Broomfield in the Baseline Innovation District.
Broomfield sits between Boulder and Denver, thus providing an excellent location to pool talent to join the Lightship Electric RV team and easy access to I-25 and I-70 for shipping.
When Will the Lightship Electric RV Be Available for Purchase?
The Lightship L1 prototype was announced in March 2023. The team expects to start production in late 2024. However, interested customers can reserve one now. You can place a fully refundable deposit of $500 to reserve an L1.
At a later date, you’ll be able to configure your exact vehicle and choose one of the two L1 models. The L1 Essential starts at $125,000, and the L1 Long-Range starts at $151,500.
Keep in Mind: Have you heard about ‘Covid Campers’? We aren’t talking about people.
Are There Many Electric RVs?
Even though the automotive industry is moving quickly toward EVs, the RV industry needs to catch up. Electric RV prototypes have been unveiled over the last couple of years, but they have yet to enter the production phase.
Winnebago’s eRV and Thor’s Vision Vehicle made headlines at the 2022 Florida RV SuperShow. Airstream also unveiled the concept for its eStream in 2022. But you’ll find no electric RVs currently on the market in the United States.
Is Lightship Electric RV the Future of RVs?
With so many benefits to electric vehicles, it’s just a matter of time until the RV industry finally releases an electric RV.
Many travelers love to dry camp and venture off-road and off-grid for days at a time. These types of vehicles will enable that kind of camping. Lightship Electric RV may lead the way if the company can stick to the 2024 timeline.
Will you be interested in the Lightship L1 when it hits production?
So, you can get UP TO a week of offgrid camping with the equivalent of 30 100ah lithium batteries and 3kw of solar??? We have 900ah of lithium batteries and 1400w of solar and we can go almost indefinitely. This thing is not very energy efficient.