Lightship L1: A Camper Trailer Designed for EVs

The Lightship L1 is a towable camper designed for electrical autos. What does that truly imply? For a begin, it’s a trailer that the corporate says might be towed with virtually no lack of vary out of your EV.

Ben Parker and Toby Kraus are the founders of Lightship. Ben spent 5 years as a battery engineer with Tesla and labored on the Mannequin 3. Toby labored in Tesla’s finance and product administration departments. They know innovation and electrical autos.

The 2 companions stated that they noticed a chance within the trailer trade that “reminded them of the early days they’d seen working at Tesla.” Whereas there had been some gradual adjustments within the trade, they thought that there was an entire lack of innovation.

“Inefficient, unreliable product designs and an influence expertise that depends on smelly, noisy, gasoline or propane mills basically hinder the superb expertise of touring within the outside,” is how Parker described the present camper and RV trade.

They needed to construct a mannequin that was extra aerodynamic. That was lighter. That had sufficient energy to assist every week of off-grid tenting with out utilizing propane or different fossil fuels.

Lightship Will get Glossy Exterior

Lightship began with the L1’s exterior design. Working pc simulations from day one helped them to finish up with a form that might minimize by way of the air. It has a sleeker collapsed street mode that lowers its frontal space. The L1 can also be lacking huge aero bricks like a rooftop AC.

The corporate says that the L1 produces 3 times much less aerodynamic drag than a traditional journey trailer. That’s half the general drag, together with rolling resistance and different aero hindrances.

Composite Development Cuts Weight

Lightship is heavy on the “gentle” a part of the title. The 27-foot RV weighs simply 7,500 kilos when totally loaded.

How did they do this? By sweating each gram, Lightship stated. The L1 makes use of composite supplies and has excessive ranges of structural optimization.

The curb weight is spectacular sufficient for a rig with a full kitchen and a toilet, however we haven’t but talked about what is perhaps Lightship’s coolest characteristic: an electrical powertrain that lets the L1 propel itself.

80 kW Battery Offers Self-Propulsion, Off-Grid Energy

That’s how Lightship can energy the L1 for every week off the grid. And a part of how the L1 might be so light on the tow car’s vary, electrical or gasoline.

There may be an 80kWh lithium-ion battery. That’s as a lot capability as a long-range EV, and lots to energy a house for days. Lightship didn’t give a horsepower determine for the L1, as a result of that is extra about effectivity.

Lightship says the battery and motor will guarantee a “300-mile vary electrical car used to tow [the L1] stays a 300-mile vary EV, and a 25-mpg gasoline truck stays a 25-mpg gasoline truck.” Regardless of the motor, it will likely be registered as a towable camper trailer.

A collection of sensors mounted to the trailer assist an onboard controller do its factor with the electrical motor. That features a drive sensor within the hitch. Type of like trailer brakes that will also be trailer goes.

For those who get to your web site with an empty battery, the system might be powered again up by way of as much as 3 kW of solar energy. That photo voltaic can add to the variety of days you possibly can keep within the nice outside. Lightship says it additionally makes the L1 eligible for the Federal Photo voltaic Funding Tax Credit score.

Lightship L1 Manufacturing Set to Begin Subsequent 12 months

The Lightship L1 begins from $125,000, which the corporate says is $118,400 after the photo voltaic credit score. Lightship CEO Ben Parker says the corporate has targeted closely on product value and provide chain technique to assist rein in prices.

For now, the one mannequin is the L1, however Lightship plans to increase. Like Tesla, which launched the Roadster and Mannequin S after which moved to extra inexpensive autos, Lightship is beginning with the L1 and plans much more mainstream merchandise sooner or later.

There’s a working prototype of the L1 now, and the corporate says it’ll present it off quickly. Lightship plans manufacturing to start out in late 2024 and is taking reservations now with a $500 deposit.