{"id":42555,"date":"2021-11-22T11:03:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T11:03:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourtour.co.uk\/home\/?p=42555"},"modified":"2021-11-25T09:26:42","modified_gmt":"2021-11-25T09:26:42","slug":"electric-ev-motorhomes-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtour.co.uk\/home\/electric-ev-motorhomes-of-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Electric (EV) Motorhomes of the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There’s no doubt the pressing need to reduce our impact on our environment will drive the uptake of electric motorhomes and campervans. Up until now I’ve assumed this is all a decade or two away for most of us. The UK government’s aiming to halt sales of new petrol and diesel vans by 2030<\/a>, but that won’t mean we’re all scrapping our old vans and going electric any time soon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before writing this article I assumed it might be another 20 years before I’m driving a battery-powered motorhome, but I’m now thinking I was wrong. Even the most petrol-headed TV show, Top Gear, last night showcased electric vehicles towing ‘the future of caravans’ – so the future, it seems, is already here. That said, I’m still thinking it’s at least a decade away for us second-hand van buyers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Knaus’s Concept Hybrid Motorhome (Source: newatlas.com\/automotive\/knaus-wankel-electric-rv-concept<\/a>) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This blog post isn’t out to sell the idea of electric (or any other type of ‘clean energy’) camper. We don’t own an EV (car or van) and we’ve no plans to replace our 20-year-old diesel van with an EV camper. The nearest I’ve come to EVs is a couple of mates who own electric cars, and a few months working in the innovation department of an electricity company. I’ve a degree in physics, so have a basic understanding of the technology, but I’m definitely no expert on electric vehicles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fiat’s e-Ducato – ripe for a panel van conversion?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This post’s just food for thought folks. It’s a summary of what I’ve found rummaging around the internet. Maybe a starting point for a discussion about electric campers with a bit more meat than just ‘they don’t have enough range’ or ‘it’ll never happen’. We’ll have a look at the main alternative too – fuel cell hydrogen – although it looks to me like the electric vans will win out. OK, let’s go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Future is Already Here, Sort Of<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A few bits of info have got me thinking change might happen a lot sooner. When we were recently updating The Motorhome Touring Handbook<\/a> my ears pricked up when I realised fully electric campers are already among us. These are mostly smaller day vans, but larger panel vans and cab-only vans (base vehicles ready for conversion) have gone into (small scale) production too. You can even buy a fully-electric C Class motorhome being produced (again in small numbers) in Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sussex Campervan’s All-Electric E-NV200 CamperCar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Just how practical are these vans? Range is an obvious concern, as is cost and access to a charging network. But it seems likely these will all quickly improve as uptake cranks up. Let’s have a look at these all below, but first, what’s driving all this innovation and change in the motorhome and campervan world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Big Drivers for Change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Internal combustion engines pollute the air and generate carbon emissions which contribute to climate change, we all know this. Older motorhomes in particular are villainous when it comes to coughing out black smoke. Ju and I should know, none of our vans have been less than 15 years old. Our current one gets about 23MPG. It’s as aerodynamic as a brick and it weighs a ton. Well, three and a half tons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our diesel-powered motorhome in a Norwegian forest<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Governments have been slowly taking action for decades but the pace of change feels like it’s about to speed up. The EU has been tightening emissions standards<\/a> for a couple of decades. The UK government charges higher rates of road tax<\/a> for more polluting vehicles and offers grants to reduce the price of new electric vehicles<\/a>. Most countries in Europe now have low emission zones<\/a>, an increasingly-complex and widespread landscape of geographical areas restrict access to older vehicles. I imagine society will gradually change too, becoming less and less accepting of those of us driving ‘dirtier’ vehicles as the years pass. These are all external forces which will push many of us away from internal combustion engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there’s our own desire to change. My life’s so far been lived with a backdrop of themes – the cold war when I was a child, IRA bombings, the collapse of communism, international terrorism and wars, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems likely climate change and its affects will form the final theme, the most enduring and perhaps the most personally influential on me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve already found myself thinking more about my impact on the world. It’s not all about guilt and accepting a lower quality of life. It’s a big positive thing for me. It’s helped me feel entirely comfortable living in small spaces, feeling less pressure to consume gadgets\/books\/cars etc and I now eat less meat that I ever have. This is all a win-win for me: I’ve been financially, physically and emotionally fitter as a result. Happy days!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same could be true of electric motorhomes. It’s not too hard to imagine a world where real-world battery range has improved to 350 miles, fast-chargers are widespread, campsites and aires provide some fast and lots of slow-charge points<\/a> so the battery recharges during our stay. Vans would no longer have Calor or LPG tanks, everything in the van would run from batteries with a powerful built-in inverter: an induction hob and oven\/grill, water and air heaters, microwave, hair dryer, fridge, TV, everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With no engine, less servicing will be needed and the dreaded 2am wake-up call from someone starting their thundering diesel engine alongside us on an aire will be a thing of the past. With always-on internet connections and Tesla-like cameras plus software keeping an eye out, the risk of break-ins and thefts will drop<\/a>. We’ll have free access to low emission zones and may well be charged less for toll roads, bridges and tunnels. Maybe a brave new motorhome world is on the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost & Range of Electric Vans Now Available<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I started researching this post I was surprised to find just how far the electric vehicle camper and motorhome market has already come. It’s now possible to buy fully-electric (BEVs – battery electric vehicles) vans and either self-convert them or get a professional conversion done. Here are a few examples along with the costs (new vans already have a government grant deducted from their prices below). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Iridium All-Electric C Class Motorhome<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sussex Campervans<\/span>‘ All Electric Nissan e-NV200 CamperCar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

These are all BEVs – battery electric vehicles – so they only have batteries and no ‘hybrid’ combusion engine. Some are van-only (so you’ll need to pay for conversion to a camper\/motorhome) and others are already converted as stated below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n