Could this self-propelling RV solve poor fuel economy and EV range when towing?
Lightship RV, a self-propelling caravan, could be the solution to lame fuel economy and EV range when towing. Check it out here.
By Jessica Palmer,
May 25, 2023
One of the biggest problems in switching to electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia is the range. As a result, towing an RV with an EV is virtually out of the question here. The range loss on your EV from towing ensures you won’t get very far in rural Australia, where it’s often a couple of hundred kilometres or more between towns.
There’s been a lot of talk about EVs not being capable when it comes to towing, but maybe we need to think outside the box and come up with a solution that lies within the RV itself and not the towing vehicle. I’m not clever enough to do this, but do you know who is? A bunch of former Tesla, Rivian, Proterra, Lucid and Zoox employees.
And luckily for the future of RV travel, they have. A group of ex-staffers at EV alumni companies have teamed up to create Lightship RV, which has already thought outside the box to create an RV that is not only all-electric but also self-propelling.
So what’s the big deal? I mean, we’ve all seen electric caravans before, right? Well, a caravan that can actually self-propel places minimal strain on the towing vehicle and thus doesn’t affect fuel economy or EV range much, if any.
Let’s take a look at Lightship RV’s L1
The Lightship RV L1 is not your traditional RV that’s been retrofitted as electric. It’s been built from the ground up as a fully-electric, aerodynamic, self-propelled caravan. According to Lightship RV, thousands of hours were spent in the virtual wind tunnel, and as a result, it’s three times more aerodynamic than a traditional travel trailer. This, of course, is super important when it comes to maximising your vehicle’s tow range or fuel economy.
Rather than slide-outs, the whole roof slides up when you’re not driving. It’s kind of like an incredibly new-age pop-up camper. In ‘road’ mode, it sits a smidge over two metres, and when extended for camp, it levels up to just over three. This gives you 2.28 metres of head height inside. The pop-up section boasts tonnes of windows for an atrium-like experience.
Lightship RV L1 measures 8.22m long x 2.6m wide and fully loaded, weighs 3401 kilograms. It sleeps up to six people, depending on the configuration. Now this is pretty damn heavy for a caravan, which leads us to the self-propulsion system.
The self-propulsion system and towing
The all-electric powertrain helps the caravan propel itself to assist in towing. This results in minimum efficiency loss for the tow vehicle. Battery capacity is 40kWh with options for 80kWh and, according to the company, has an all-electric towing range of up to 482 kilometres.
The towing experience has been designed with stability in mind with a low centre of gravity, a relatively low driving height, batteries packaged into the chassis and an electric drivetrain on the trailer’s wheels.
Details are light on as to how the self-propulsion will work. I mean, will it talk to your vehicle to know when to brake and what speed to propel? How fast can it propel? Since it’s self-propelling, will this do away with vehicle towing load limits? Will it tow with a standard hitch?
We don’t know the answers yet.
Those wanting to head off-road will be disappointed with the ground clearance which is suited to the bitumen. However, this is the first of its kind and designed for the American market. So baby steps.
Staying off-grid
There are no emissions, no fossil fuels and no generators. Solar energy is used to set up camp sans the power grid. The team created a proprietary power system architecture that combines an automotive electric vehicle battery with a residential-scale solar system. According to Lightship RV, with solar generation of up to 3kW and up to 80kWh battery capacity, you should be able to power your caravan for a whole week before recharging.
As expected, a tablet or digital app can control lights and monitor all things electric.
The interior has a lot of breathing room
The interior is zen-like with panoramic windows and an open convertible lounge space that’s large enough for movie nights or card games. This means packing away your bed if you want to use this space as a chill-out area, which I imagine would wear thin quickly.
There are even views from the shower. Although we don’t know the details, one would assume there is a way to have privacy through all of these windows. What’s not often seen in an RV is the overhead rainshower in the bathroom, which also boasts porcelain floors and contains the toilet.
Production
Production of the Lightship RV L1 is planned to begin in late 2024, and it’s currently available for pre-order in the US only. Prices are listed on the website as follows:
- L1 Essential, all-electric camping – starting at USD 125,000 (AUD 184,306)
- L2 Long Range, all-electric camping + drive motor – starting at USD 151,500 (AUD 223,378)
