Road trips remain one of the most exciting ways to explore a new place, but travellers looking for a more eco-friendly way to hit the road should take note of a new motorhome coming in 2019.
In January, the “first market-ready motorhome equipped with a pure electric drive” will be unveiled, meaning travellers may soon be able to get their hands on a vehicle with the size of an RV, but without all the emissions. The Iridium E Mobil electric RV is made through a partnership of the Stuttgart-based electric vehicle company EFA-S and the Iridium brand of the WOF motorhome distributor. The companies say the product will be available to the public in 2019, though the price has yet to be revealed.
The vehicle is powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries, which can be charged at conventional sockets as well as wall boxes with up to 22 kW or via CCS connection to fast charging stations with up to 50 kW, according to the companies. The current range for the vehicle – or how far it can drive on one charge – is 200 km. That’s a smaller range than many small electric cars, but the company is predicting that will grow in the future as battery capacities increase.
This is a big deal for anyone who wants a fully-electric motorhome, but a number of companies have also announced their plans for electric campervans, which will be good news for anyone looking for a smaller electric vehicle. Volkswagen has announced plans for its fully electric van, the I.D. Buzz, which looks similar to the classic VW camper, but with an environmentally-friendly twist. It is expected to be available in 2022. Nissan also announced its pop-top zero-emissions electric camper, the e-NV200, which will be entirely powered by battery. That vehicle is expected to have a maximum range of between 200 and 300 km.
