Typical American cross-country road trip now gets a new contemporary character thanks to German camper manufacturer Dethleffs and its new concept motorhome. Dubbed e.home, this motorhome is built for the open road, with a sleek design and head-to-toe solar panels so you never have to worry about finding the next charging station. The cabin of the e.home is built onto an Iveco Daily Electric chassis, which has an 80 kW motor and a 228 Ah battery pack of sodium-nickel-chloride cells that boasts a range of up to 174 miles (280 km) per charge in its pre-conversion state.
e.home
Once the vehicle is fully kitted out as a motorhome, however, that range per charge may be significantly shorter, suggests New Atlas, saying the range “might fall as far as 103 miles (167 km).”
The cabin is fully fitted with all of the amenities of a modern motorhome, with all electric appliances, several sleeping areas, a kitchen, a bathroom, etc., but also includes some cutting-edge components that are aimed at increasing the efficiency of the heating system and augmenting the privacy and comfort of the residents of the e.home.
e.home
By incorporating “latent heat accumulator plates” made with a phase change material that can absorb excess heat and store it to be released after the sun goes down, and by integrating infrared heating elements in the floor and furniture, the e.home is designed to feel cozy to the occupants without consuming excessive amounts of electricity. Two different applications of a foil-based technology, in both the lighting and the windows, one of which allows for “a bright planar light” inside the cabin, and the other enables the windows to be “electrically dimmed” for both sun and heat protection as well as for privacy.
e.home
Dethleffs have installed an innovative safety system in the e.home. This so called ‘Mobileye’ supports the driver in the form of a ‘Third Eye’ in order to keep track of situations in front of the vehicle. It identifies potential dangers on the road and forewarns the driver by acoustic and optical signals.
The Dethleffs e.home concept vehicle isn’t for sale, and there are no current plans to put this particular model into production, but it is being used to showcase the future of electric mobility in the caravan sector, which might be coming sooner than expected.
e.home
