European electric RVs

Above, on the right: Nissan e-NV200 camper van

Past, present and future of the electric camper

The world of recreational vehicles is not yet ready to go en masse to electric mobility, but this does not prevent manufacturers and converters from starting to experiment

There are vehicles already on the market and others that will arrive soon, plus some “concepts”. Nissan has even been offering its e-NV200 camper van in Spain since 2018, a multipurpose vehicle with a folding roof equipped with a 40 kWh battery that allows it a maximum range of 200 km in the WLTP cycle. This year, the Japanese company also presented a concept based on the same mechanics and christened the e-NV200 Winter Camper, imagining the use of this vehicle even in the coldest season. For now, however, it’s just a study. The German WOF offers semi-integrated models under the Iridium Wohnmobile brand, based on Fiat

Above and below: Knaus E.Power Drive

Ducato mechanics where the diesel engine is replaced with an electric engine and a battery pack capable of offering up to 400 km of range. The conversion is being carried out by the specialist Elektrofahrzeuge Stuttgart (EFA-S), who has already converted around 200 UPS courier vans to electric. However, we are talking about customized vehicles with a cost that exceeds €170,000. The upcoming arrival on the market of the Xbus from ElectricBrands, another German company, and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz California, officially confirmed by the German manufacturer and which will be produced in Hanover, based on the new Multivan. The Xbus is a small vehicle (365 cm long) that could be on the market as early as 2022, with a battery of up to 30 kWh. The basic version will have a 10 kWh accumulator and a theoretical range of up to 200 km, even if the manufacturer does not specify how it is calculated. The price should be very competitive: around €30,000. In 2017 Dethleffs presented the E-Home, a prototype built on an Iveco Daily with a speed limited to 80 km/h and an exterior covered with solar panels: 31 square meters of surface area provided 3 kW of power. At the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf last year, Knaus presented a study: the E.Power Drive. Based on the semi-integrated Van TI 650 MEG with Fiat Ducato chassis and built in collaboration with HWA, this prototype has an electric motor with power up to 180 kW, a maximum speed of 110 km/h and a 35 kWh battery for a range of 90 kilometers. The presence of a “range extender”, that is a Wankel engine that acts as an energy generator and runs on petrol, guarantees that you can continue driving even when the battery runs out. Finally, electric vehicles are also the subject of academic studies. The Solar Team Eindhoven of the Eindhoven University of Technology developed an innovative vehicle with a rising roof completely covered with photovoltaic modules for a total of 17.5 square meters. Stella Vita, as it was baptized, is designed for complete energy autonomy. It was developed in collaboration with Thetford and Lippert, and on sunny days it can travel up to 730 km with zero emissions. On 15 October, the vehicle travelled from the Netherlands to Tarifa, Spain.

Above and below: ElectricBrands Xbus