Winnebago presents its first electric RV

RV fabricator Winnebago revealed the first product created by its division Advanced Technology Group (ATG), established in 2019 for identifying and developing new technologies. The product is a completely electric camper van, currently being in the conceptual phase, called e-RV by the company. Taking a general view of images of the e-RV suffices to tell us that the vehicle is based on the Ford Transit cargo van. However, the vehicle is not an electrical E-Transit, it is a regular model with an electric motor designed by Lightning eMotors, a company based in Colorado that is specialized in conversions of normal vehicles to commercial electric ones. The company is also producing a fleet of 89 electrical Transit cargo vans to be used for DHL in New York and California. The e-RV stores its electrical energy in a 86 kWh battery which, according to the fabricator, can be recharged in 45 minutes in a quick charge station and it offers 125 miles of autonomy, while it also feeds supplementary systems that are required for a camper, like the water heater, air conditioning system, induction stove, and refrigerator. According to Winnebago, 125 miles of autonomy is sufficient to cover the necessities of most buyers of the new recreational vehicles which, according to the data from the recreational vehicle fabricators' association, prefer realizing trips of less than 200 miles. The e-RV concept is equipped with a full bathroom, a sofa bed, and a foldable table, along with sustainable materials like a parquet floor and wool isolation of the walls which protects inside from cold. It also has high-performance wireless connectivity through a residential Wi-Fi network thanks to a router with a double modem which, according to Winnebago, allows for a high level of data transfer. Winnebago stated that the e-RV is a 'completely functional' vehicle, giving fewer clues about its price. But, if we keep in mind that a Winnebago van camper can cost up to $240,000 right now, we can confidently say that an e-RV won't be exactly cheap.