Destination Future: A whole new world of electromobility!
When we presented the first all-electric motorhome in our study E.HOME der Welt (E.HOME of the World) in 2017, we undertook genuine pioneering work in and for our industry. It was already clear to us back then that electromobility would also come to caravanning at some stage. Although not as fast as the passenger car sector, due to the caravan’s specific use. After all, we all know a motorhome should have a certain amount of range. The clue is in the name: MOTORhome. For this reason, we took a proactive approach and faced the challenge of electromobility in the caravanning industry at a very early stage. As it turned out, we were actually the first well-known manufacturer of recreational vehicles to do so.
We also view our philosophy and our claim of being a ‘friend of the family’ as a commitment to sustainability, and we therefore also consider ourselves to be a pioneer in the electromobility sector.
Electromobility is driving transformation in motorhomes AND caravans
Electromobility will be associated with a fundamental transformation in the way both motorhomes and caravans are used. After all, electromobility in motorhomes will mean more than just placing an electrically powered chassis under the current vehicle body. There are new opportunities here for the overall vehicle concept.
When it comes to classic caravans, the prevalence of electromobility that is to be expected will pose a huge challenge. After all, we can assume that the battery capacity of electric cars will not be sufficient for managing the realities of long travel distances for the foreseeable future, especially when towing a trailer. But we wouldn’t be pioneers if we didn’t already have a solution up our sleeves for this, too. With our vision of the Dethleffs E.HOME caravan, which we presented in 2018, we plan to reinvent the basic notion of the caravan and expand its possible applications – even in the age of electric cars. The E.HOME caravan, which has now reached the prototype stage, completely reinterprets the innovation invented by our company founder Arist Dethleffs back in 1931. As this caravan drives itself, thus revolutionising caravanning of the future. It represents a milestone in sustainability and the everyday practicality of a caravan. But no matter which drive types are coming our way in future, we can promise you one thing: Caravanning will not die out. We’ll make sure of it!