Electric motorhomes
Camping silently
VW ID. buzz
© press-inform – the press office
The electric trend in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles is slowly reaching the camping scene. But so far the offer is still thin. However, that would change in the coming years.
The huge camping trend has been intensified by the ongoing pandemic and the demand in the motorhome sector is correspondingly high. Until now, Fiat Ducato, Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, VW Crafter or MAN TGE with high-torque and long-range common rail diesels rattled and rattled on Adria, Lofoten or Biggesee. But the interest of European mobile citizens is slowly growing in equipping their own camper with an electric motor and jumping on the environmental bandwagon. Although this costs a lot of range and significantly increases the weight of the rolling house, the trend itself is unlikely to be unstoppable. While the car manufacturers themselves recognized the trend early on, it still looks very hesitant among the profit-oriented converters, apart from isolated solutions.
With the near-series study of the Knaus E.Power Drive, camping specialist Knaus has presented a first model that could soon be on the road to customers. The electric drive was integrated into the camper together with the motorsport experts from HWA. While the engine output is ample at up to 180 kW / 245 hp, the range looks very manageable, because 90 kilometers in purely electric operation should hardly have any relation to reality for camping during the holidays. As with module solutions from other companies, the range extender starts up when the battery pack in the underbody is empty. This is primarily intended to charge the traction battery, but it can also supply electricity directly to the drive motor. At the same time, the range extender also supplies the living area of the vehicle with the necessary energy for the short trip.
Iridium offers an electric motorhome based on the Fiat Ducato, which is already available for purchase. The electric drive comes from the Swabian conversion specialist electric vehicles Stuttgart EFA-S. The technology was previously implanted in a similar way in 200 delivery vehicles of the type P 45 E of the parcel service UPS, which were previously on the road with diesel engines.
Mercedes is two sizes smaller with its EQV. The Swiss company Sortimo converts the electric variant of the V-Class into a camper with a plug using a pop-up roof, sleeping unit and a kitchen module for the trunk. “The motorhome market is of strategic importance for Mercedes-Benz Vans,” explains Klaus Rehkugler, Head of Sales and Marketing Mercedes Vans, “we want to continue to grow here and play a pioneering role in terms of innovation and sustainability. It’s clear to us: also in the motorhome industry.” At first glance, the electric camper with the star can hardly be distinguished from the combustion engine model. On request there is a pop-up roof with a roof bed as well as a sleeping and kitchen unit in the rear of the EQV. The kitchen unit uses a drawer system and includes, among other things, a sink facility, two gas-powered removable hobs, a cool box and drawers for cutlery, cooking accessories and supplies. The sleeping system is mounted above the kitchen unit. This can be unfolded into a lying surface in just a few simple steps. The lightweight construction of the camping modules is more important than ever for the significantly heavier electric vehicles. On the roof, two solar panels with 400 watts of power ensure independence from the charging station, as they charge both the starter battery and the additional battery for camping.
Similar vehicles are on the market based on the Peugeot e-Traveller or the large Citroen e-Jumper. With its large 70 kWh battery pack, the 90 kW / 122 hp electric version has a range of almost 250 kilometers as a panel van. The little brother of the Citroen e-Spacetourer is even being offered by rental companies as a motorhome for two people. The Munich-based provider Zerocampers rents out the converted French vehicle for as little as 65 euros per day with a range of at least 330 kilometers.
It’s no longer a secret that the VW ID. Buzz, which will celebrate its official world premiere next week, will also come as a camping version and is intended to tie in with the history of the VW campers. So far only available with combustion engine technology, the camping models with the California label are available in three sizes as Caddy, Transporter and Crafter. An electric version of the VW ID. Buzz would be a fourth model in the leisure portfolio. At the end of the year, however, only the version with a normal wheelbase will celebrate its premiere in Europe. However, the long version, which is particularly interesting for the important US market, will not start until the beginning of 2024. It is therefore unlikely that an electric California version will be available before 2025. Production would take place at the ID Buzz main plant in Hanover.
If you want something smaller, you can look forward to the Xbus from Electric Brands. The electric pickup truck, which is just 3.96 meters long, can also be used for camping. In addition to the normal version, there is an off-roader with significantly more ground clearance – all-wheel drive is standard anyway. The drive is provided by four wheel motors with up to 56 kW / 76 hp, which deliver 15 kW / 20 hp in continuous operation and are therefore intended to transport goods and three people, preferably in the city center. The maximum speed: 100 km/h. In the basic version with eight battery packs and thus 10 kWh, a range of at least 200 kilometers is possible – expandable to up to 600 km. The Xbus is available with eight different modules, which can be exchanged by two people in a few simple steps. The camper offers a 2.10 meter long bed, fridge / hotplate, sink / fresh water tank and a solar roof at prices starting at just under 30,000 euros.
In any case, camping fans can look forward to a few interesting electric models in the coming years. But it will be some time before a real market emerges and, in particular, the larger campers and travel modules with platforms from Fiat Ducato, Mercedes Sprinter and Ford Transit with serious ranges of more than 400 kilometers roll out.