We love the road life, and motorhomes help us achieve it without sacrificing the comfort and amenities of a home. The automobile industry is undergoing a revolution with EVs, and it has finally caught up with the RV culture. Many big RV manufacturers are pitching in their all-electric concepts to help achieve the goal of an all-electric future.
Thor Industries showcased the Thor Vision EV, and Mercedes EQV has started the EV motorhome revolution in Europe. The latest addition to this list is Winnebago's e-RV, which was showcased as a concept at the Florida RV SuperShow. This motorhome is based on a Ford Transit and has a more realistic approach with 125 miles of range that also includes powering up of the electrical equipment.
They are also working on improving the driving range of the e-RV currently. A connected home is also a core aspect of what they want to achieve here, with a single screen posing as a window for all electrical and functional controls of the RV. Winnebago has also focused on making its future sustainable with the usage of recycled and waste materials for the interior.
While the concept is based on a make-shift Ford Transit, they might eventually bring out a custom-made EV platform that would eradicate all the current shortcomings. Taking Winnebago's years of expertise into consideration, it won't be long before they crack the electric code and make a mass-production model of the e-RV.
The e-RV Concept is a preview of Winnebago's vision of sustainable, innovative, and connected motor homes of the future.
An All-Electric Motorhome With Zero Emissions
Winnebago is a well-known name in the RV industry. They had recently started a new subdivision to focus on the future of RVs - Advanced Technology Group. This division gave birth to the e-RV Concept. Its ideology is of a sustainable motor home that gets both its mobility and home power from a single battery pack.
A.I. and a centralized control unit take care of all the vitals of both the powertrain and in-house equipment. The eco-friendly quotient is also very high with this concept, as a lot of the components have been made using recycled raw materials. Winnebago wants to make its mark as the trend-setters of the all-electric RV world.
Based On An Electrified Ford Transit
The e-RV Concept is based on a Ford Transit, but not the e-Transit. The e-Transit was not chosen because of its unavailability in a windowed passenger van format. So, they took the Transit, got rid of the gasoline powerplant, and swapped in electric powerplant care from Lightning eMotors.
These guys specialize in converting commercial vehicles to EVs. So the emphasis is high on driving range and charging time. This electric RV gets an 86-kWh battery pack that translates to a maximum of 125 miles. And charging time can do down to just 45 minutes using a high-speed charging station. The driving range also includes powering onboard electrical equipment.
An RV Camper Driven By Sustainability
Technology, no doubt, forms the crux of this concept RV from Winnebago. But also equally valued is the sustainable and eco-friendly nature of materials used in its construction. Winnebago has managed to squeeze in a modular sofa-cum-bed, a kitchenette, loads of storage space, and even a bath with a shower.
As for the sustainable angle, the floor is made out of rubberized cork, and the wall from waste wool for insulation. It even packs components like a water heater, a refrigerator, an air-con with a heat pump, and an induction hob.
This ex-Ford Transit can very well replace your fully-fledged home! Also for the digital nomads, the e-RV Concept comes with a Wi-Fi network backed by dual-modem routers for seamless connection speeds. And all these components, including the DC/AC power distribution, are routed and controlled via a single touch-screen display, which makes life a lot simpler.
This Might Turn Out To Be America's First Mass-Produced All-Electric RV
There have been a lot of attempts to showcase the potential of EVs in the motorhome world. But none seemed to have concrete support to survive in real-world conditions. Winnebago plans on making and mark and creating history by making the first mass-market RV motorhomes. The current challenge that they face is of bumping up the battery capacity and building an off-the-grid charging network.
With more than 71% of Americans saying that they would consider buying an electric vehicle in the future (according to a 2020 Consumer Report Survey), RVs going electric is the need of the day. Once Winnebago has sharpened its tool a bit more, the e-RV concept will be ready to roll out. And that day's not that far!
Sources: Winnebagoind.com, Electrive.com, Caranddriver.com, Cnbc.com