Winnebago Just Unveiled Its First Electric Camper Van
The folks at Winnebago build a wide range of camping vehicles, from off-road RVs to tiny camping trailers. Their latest concept, however, is one that could revolutionize the industry: the e-RV concept vehicle, which Winnebago just debut at the Florida RV SuperShow.
The e-RV is an all-electric, zero-emission camper van built on a modified Ford Transit platform that uses an aftermarket EV conversion. Winnebago says the concept is fully functional.
The e-RV has all the powered amenities you would expect from a camper van. 350-volt DC power powers a water heater and a roof-mounted air conditioner with a heat pump. 110-volt AC runs the refrigerator and induction cooktop. The setup uses an integrated control system accessible by tablet or smartphone and offers a dual-modem system for "residential-grade" wireless internet.
Range — as it often the case with introductory EV concepts — isn't ideal. Winnebago says that the e-RV can achieve a range of 125 miles from its 86-kWh battery configuration with all the features running. Winnebago claims this would meet the needs of a "majority" of new RV buyers; according to the cited survey data, 54% of new EV buyers would prefer to travel less than 200 miles roundtrip.
Winnebago equipped the e-RV to charge wherever it happens to be parked. It can fast charge (presumably to 80%) in 40 minutes. It can also charge at home, campgrounds and EV charging stations.
Such a fully formed concept vehicle presages a production electric RV, but Winnebago did not mention potential production timelines or pricing. It's also not certain whether a production e-RV would stick with its current power setup or use Ford's electric Transit van, which arrives soon. Winnebago says more details about the e-RV will be forthcoming.
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