Lightship self-propelled caravan goes into production
, by O. V., 1 min reading time
Lightship's self-driving electric camper trailer is going into production, and it's not cheap...
Lightship
Length: 8m
MTM: 3400kg (or 7500 lbs)
The trailer (or caravan), originally known as the Lightship L1, has its own drivetrain and battery to maintain the range of the towing vehicle.
San Francisco-based Lightship is putting its revolutionary self-driving electric camper trailer into production.
The first 50 units are called the AE.1 Cosmos Edition.
The trailer features a built-in battery and drivetrain, reducing the load on the towing vehicle.
Towing with an electric vehicle
Towing large trailers remains the Achilles heel of modern electric vehicles. While battery-powered trucks like the Rivian R1T , Chevrolet Silverado EV , and Tesla Cybertruck can easily tow 10,000 pounds or more, their range goes down the drain once you attach something to that hitch.
For work, this might not be a huge deal, but if you’re the type of person who likes to tow a camper across the country, you’re in for the charging experience of a lifetime, as you’ll need to stop every 150 miles or so to charge the car’s battery for the next leg of your journey.
The solution for EVs
Luckily, there’s a potential solution to this, in the form of a self-driving camper, but it’ll cost you a pretty penny. One such camper is the Lightship AE.1, an American-made camper trailer (or caravan) that’s finally going into production next year after originally being revealed in 2023. You might remember it by its original name, the Lightship L1 , but for some reason the company decided to rename it to the AE.1.
Source: insideevs.com , 12/12/2024
