The self-propelled camper trailer is a preview concept for the near future and has been around the world for about five years. Silicon Valley startup Lightship has become the latest company to put a hat on that particular ring, assembling a team of veterans from Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, Proterra and Zoox to take it from concept to production. rice field. The company’s L1 travel trailer features an all-electric architecture that powers the wheels and his week’s worth of camping, and utilizes a retractable, aerodynamically-optimized shell for even greater efficiency and a 300-mile range. (483 km) of EV can be towed. Full 300 miles camper.
With electrification making good progress in the auto industry, Lightship co-founders Ben Parker and Toby Kraus, both Tesla alumni, have revealed just how far behind the RV industry is not just in electrification, but in innovation in general. I noticed that you are taking This duo of his has bolder ideas for a quieter, cleaner future for his RVs, and has identified opportunities to disrupt the industry in a similar way Tesla did in the auto market.
“One in 10 American homes owns an RV, but the RV industry hasn’t seen any innovation in decades,” declares Parker. “Inefficient and unreliable product design and power experiences that rely on smelly and noisy gas and propane generators are fundamentally preventing the great experience of outdoor travel.”
Rather than go down the road of electrifying existing RV platforms, Lightship chose to develop an electric RV from the ground up. A first look at the L1 prototype was provided today, ahead of the show’s premiere later this week.
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The L1 is a 27 ft (8.2 m) travel trailer with a gross vehicle weight of 7,500 lbs (3,400 kg) and sleeping space for 4 to 6 people. As such, it’s a long way from the small, lightweight template of the prototypes that often guide the design of his all-electric, EV-ready trailers. However, Lightship promises that its trailer will have three times the aerodynamic performance of his conventional travel trailer, and can use an 80 kWh battery-based all-electric propulsion system to offset the weight.
To be fair to the RV establishment that Lightship blames for lack of innovation, several major global RV manufacturers have spent years developing and testing trailer propulsion systems on both sides of the Atlantic. The effort began in Germany with his Dethleffs under the Erwin Hymer brand and expanded to the US after Thor Industries acquired the Erwin Hymer Group and developed his spontaneous Airstream concept.
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Lightship has not specified whether its self-propelled concept uses a formulation similar to Thor’s axle motor, sensor and control hardware layout to match trailer speed to tow vehicle speed. but the goal is certainly the same. Prevents significant loss of range or efficiency. Lightship aims to keep distance/efficiency loss near zero. This allowed him to maintain a full range of 300 miles with a 300 mile electric car towing his L1, and without a trailer he could pump 25 mpg (9.4 L/100 km) of petrol into his truck as well. You will be able to maintain 25 miles. mpg with the L1 on the hitch. Or at least somewhere close.
Plans call for the L1’s EV-sized battery system to power both the motor drive and all on-board gear and equipment, eliminating the need for petrol, diesel or propane gas, and a quiet, zero-emission camp. We are asking you to guarantee the operation of A huge roof-mounted solar array of up to 3,000 watts keeps the batteries full and helps the camper run off-grid for up to a week. Lightship also mentions “connected functionality” but doesn’t go into details.
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L1 renderings released by Lightship this week show aerodynamics hinged around a multi-position glasshouse. The glasshouse lowers and nests on top of it, dropping the trailer below the level of the tow vehicle. The wheels are hidden behind the fairing for extra aerodynamics, and the body has been carefully streamlined with a slim front end and slippery contours.
At camp, the glass-like upper body is lifted to reveal a bright and airy interior surrounded by large windows. The first floor plan features a dining lounge with a wraparound sofa large enough to convert to two beds, a kitchen with all appliances, storage consoles along the side walls, and a full-width rear bathroom. It contains what it looks like.
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Lightship will have a full reveal of the L1 prototype this weekend at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Pre-orders can be placed now for a US$500 pre-order fee, and Lightship plans to begin production in the second half of 2024. The L1 starts at $125,000, and available tax credits can bring that price down to $118,400, according to Lightship.
Source: Lightship
