Towed caravans have long been the holidaying weapon of choice for grey nomads around Australia, but just as the electric vehicle revolution has changed the face of the auto industry forever, electrification is coming for the world of caravans too. In one of the biggest leaps forward we’ve seen to date for electric caravans, the Lightship L1 doesn’t simply offer a luxurious stay for owners when they pull off the highway for the day but is also a new benchmark for energy efficiency and aerodynamics.
Covered in glass and sleeker than a Jeff Bezos space rocket, the Lightship L1 electric caravan is a newly announced battery-powered trailer with a “self-propelled” drive motor that results in “near-zero range loss” for any EVs towing it and a whole lot less fuel consumption for a combustion-powered SUV pulling it too, despite weighing 3,400kg fully loaded. This is also thanks to its remarkably aerodynamic shape that Lightship claims is three times more efficient than your standard caravan trailer, the result of thousands of hours spent fine-tuning its design in a wind tunnel to minimise drag on the road as much as possible.
The founders of Lightship have CVs that include leading names like Telsla and Rivian, which explains the brand’s relentless focus on efficiency for the L1, which boasts carefully considered windows and rear lights, a tapered tail and even different trailer modes depending on where you’re at in your road trip. With a hard-walled telescoping construction that reaches three metres tall when fully opened up, the L1 measures eight metres in length and 2.5 metres in width and gathers energy during the day with a 3kW solar panel array on the roof that charges its 80kWh battery system.
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With a battery this size, the L1 can power all of its lights and onboard appliances for a week without needing to be plugged into mains power, including a dishwasher and electric stove-top, so you can set up camp without needing to stress too much about immediately turning off everything you aren’t using. Its interior is spacious with a dedicated kitchen and dining area, as well as the capacity to sleep up to six people inside so you can bring the whole family.
Lightship is expecting to start production of the L1 electric caravan by the end of 2024 with delivery dates yet to be confirmed by the company. If you’re looking to enjoy an L1 for yourself, you’ll need to open your wallet to the tune of US$125,000 (AU$187,988) to secure an entry-level model or US$151,500 (AU$227,842) for the L1 Long Range model with a drive motor and additional battery capacity. It’s not cheap, but when you consider the running costs and additional fuel of regular premium caravans, the numbers make a lot more sense.
