With Volkswagen set to introduce the hotly anticipated ID Buzz next year, it’s only a matter of time before electric camper vans will become a thing. It looks as though London Electric Vehicle Company is beating VW to the punch by introducing the e-Camper, which it claims is the “world’s first electric campervan.” However, it’s worth noting the statement isn’t entirely true considering this is not actually a pure EV since it boasts a range-extending powertrain.
It started out in life as the LEVC’s taxi-based VN5 van before receiving the outdoorsy treatment engineered in collaboration with Wellhouse Leisure specialized in camper van conversions. It sleeps a total of four people – two inside the camper and two on the roof-mounted pop-up tent – and boasts front seats that rotate 180 degrees for when it’s time to have dinner with the whole family.
Gone is the standard load bay in the back as it has been heavily modified to provide a camper-like accommodation area, complete with a folding table and even an electric kitchenette. The bench seat in the second row folds down to create a bed and LEVC mentions it will offer a wide array of racks for mountain biking and surfing, just to name a few.
Now, about the powertrain. It does offer more than 60 miles (97 kilometers) of zero-emissions range from the 31-kWh battery pack, but once you’re out of electric juice, a 1.3-liter gasoline engine kicks in to serve as a range extender. The total range is 304 miles (489 kilometers), and it’s worth noting the combustion engine doesn’t actually drive the wheels as it’s used only to top out the battery on the go.
Geely-owned LEVC is already accepting orders for the e-Camper and is asking £62,250 or around $86,000 at current exchange rates. First customer deliveries are scheduled for December this year.
Source: LEVC
