Yahoo Finance A luxury RV maker says it created the world's first fully electric travel trailer — see inside the $310,000 home on wheels with Starlink connectivity
Luxury travel trailer Bowlus has unveiled what it says is the world's first fully electric RV, the Volterra.
The new Starlink-enabled Volterra trailer starts at $310,000.
Legacy RV makers like Winnebago and Thor Industries unveiled concept electric RVs in early 2022.
Luxury travel trailer maker Bowlus has unveiled its latest build, the Volterra.
But unlike its other models, Bowlus says the shiny new trailer is the world's first fully electric production RV.
Source: Bowlus
And this title will cost you: The new luxury tiny home on wheels starts at $310,000, making it the company's most expensive RV yet.
Source: Bowlus
Bowlus has been a familiar face in the luxury road travel market for several years now.
In 2020, its $255,000 Endless Highways Bespoke Performance Edition travel trailer was listed in Neiman Marcus' holiday gift guide.
Source: Insider
And throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the company saw an immense growth in sales and popularity with growing waitlists for its builds, the company told Insider in 2021.
Source: Insider
The travel trailer maker may have carved out its own path in the RV industry, but it's not the only company dabbling in the red-hot fully electric (emphasis on "fully") RV market.
Source: Insider
In early 2022, legacy companies like Mercedes-Benz, Winnebago, and Thor Industries unveiled electric RV concepts.
Source: Insider
But these vehicles were just that: concepts with no firm release dates.
Other electric travel trailers with off-grid capabilities are already available to consumers.
But according to Bowlus, these other models aren't actually fully electric because they have amenities like gas cooktops or propane tanks (Bowlus offers the latter for "backup" off-grid heating uses).
Source: Bowlus
"[Full electrification] isn't something you can achieve overnight, which is why you see so much concept work instead of actual production from the rest of the industry," Geneva Long, the founder and CEO of Bowlus, told Insider.
According to Long, Bowlus has been shooting for complete electrification for several years now ...
... and was able to achieve it before legacy companies because of its early integration of lithium-iron phosphate batteries, lightweight materials, and an aerodynamic trailer shape initially designed to increase the tow vehicle's miles per gallon.
If you've seen Bowlus' previous models, the 27-foot electrified Volterra might look familiar.
The exterior still retains Bowlus' signature shiny retro look. And inside, the trailer's kitchen, living room, and bedroom furnishings look similar to Bowlus' previous models.
But the Volterra's innovations are in its details.
Compared to the company's previous models, the new electric model has increased battery and freshwater storage capacities …
… and the ability to charge while it's both parked and being towed using its "AeroSolar" system, allowing the trailer to stay off-grid indefinitely, according to its maker.
And it wouldn't be a Bowlus without interior luxury amenities like heated floors, bright wooden walls and ceilings, and a hotel room-like bathroom.
Inside the kitchen, there's an induction cooktop, a sink with an extendable faucet, a refrigerator-freezer, and a battery-powered microwave, among other amenities.
Meals made here can then be eaten in the living room lined with seats that can turn into two separate dining tables, seating up to four hungry travelers.
The bedroom is just past this living room. Here, there's an en-suite bathroom and twin beds that can turn into one king mattress.
This obviously won't cut it for a family of four. So to sleep two additional people, the multi-purpose living room's sofa and armchair can convert into two additional beds.
And if you're an on-the-go digital nomad, you're in for a treat: The Volterra also has Starlink connectivity, a service more RV makers are now integrating into their builds.
Source: Insider
Starlink is a big plus, but Volterra's biggest sell is definitely its electrification.
To support all of these interior amenities, the travel trailer has energy systems like an increased lithium-iron phosphate battery capacity and the ability to charge its electric tow vehicle up to an additional 65 miles.
And it's these electrification systems that could make the Volterra a hot product for the travel trailer company.
"We've already seen incredible reception for the Volterra and we expect that to continue and definitely be our best seller," Long said.
Read the original article on Business Insider
