Just imagine taking a cross-country road trip without ever having to stop for gas. This is the future of RVs, and it already exists. This latest electric motorhome innovation was designed by a German RV company called Dethleffs.
The motorhome is specifically built for the open road. Solar panels cover the RV from head to toe, so you don’t have to worry about running out of power or searching for the next charging station. In total, there are 334 square feet of thin-film solar panels that can deliver 3,000 watts of energy. The RV has a 107-horsepower electric motor that’s built on the company’s Iveco Daily Electric chassis. It can drive just over 100 miles before its 228-Ah sodium-nickel-chloride battery has to be recharged. The battery has a lifespan of approximately 1,500 charges or about 250,000 km.
This RV isn’t just a motorhome, but it’s actually an e-home! It features driver assistance technology, smart windows, and an amazing heating system. The e-home utilizes Victron Energy products for the solar kit, including solar charge controllers, an inverter/charger for AC electricity to charge the lithium batteries, ancillaries, and a DC-DC converter to supply charge stations for phones and laptops.
Dethleffs Managing Director, Alexander Leopold, said, “Dethleffs know this means a lot more than just putting bodywork on an electrically driven chassis. By implementing a fully electric power-train there are many challenges and equally opportunities for the entire vehicle. One significant opportunity is to do without any additional type of energy sources for the vehicle. This means that a motorhome with electric drive will also supply all the on-board services with electricity for the living area instead of gas, for example – and that is why solar power production becomes very important.”
The motorhome has a sleek and modern design. There are circular wireless charging stations, infrared heating panels on interior floors, beautiful furniture, and windows with darkening film between the panes. The clever heating system captures outside air on days warmer than 79 degrees F, then sends it to the main cabin when the evening’s cooler air sets in. Additionally, there’s even a starlight projection system over the alcove bed.
So basically, this is the perfect vehicle for traveling around the country. The same solar-first design philosophy is now reaching smaller vehicles too, from cargo scooters with built-in panels to a handful of production solar motorcycles now shipping in China and the US.
