Industry News: LIGHTSHIP, The EV Answer for Camping Trailers!

[G. David Felt]

Moving road trips to the electric age. — Lightship (lightshiprv.com)

Preserving the planet while exploring new corners of the planet is the bold vision of Lightship RVs. Lightship first RV is the L1 travel trailer.  The company was launched March 8th, 2023, to the public, by co-founders Ben Parker and Toby Kraus who both worked for Tesla on various projects till the Pandemic.

Taking time off to explore the U.S. in an RV, they discovered the opportunity to take the RV industry into the 21st century in an electrified manner.

Ben Parker and Toby Kraus both saw opportunities much like the early days of Tesla for the RV industry. Here is an industry that has stagnated with little genuine innovation, the result is a market dominated by just a couple of large companies.

The research showed some amazing statistics and according to Ben Parker, Lightship Co-Founder and CEO:

“One in 10 American families own an RV, but the RV industry hasn’t experienced innovation for decades.” 

 “Inefficient, unreliable product designs and a power experience that relies on smelly, noisy, gas or propane generators fundamentally hinder the amazing experience of traveling in the outdoors.”

Lightship Co-Founder and President, Toby Kraus had the following to say:

“With 90% of the market comprising of towable RVs, we began by creating an all-electric travel trailer that is unlike any RV available today and that is just the beginning.”

  “We are leveraging our expertise in automotive EV development and design to build a brand that creates delightful outdoor travel experiences for everyone and brings even more people into the pastime of RVing.”

Lightship has taken a clean-sheet approach to building an all-electric RV trailer. The lightship team is made up of alumni from Rivian, Proterra, Lucid and Zoox in addition to Tesla. This wide range of electric vehicle experiences has allowed them to deliver on the following:

• A hyper-efficient design that is three times more aerodynamic than a traditional travel trailer for longer range and greater efficiency, which means a 300-mile range electric vehicle (EV) used to tow it remains a 300-mile range EV, and a 25-mpg gas truck remains a 25-mpg gas truck.
• An electric powertrain with up to 80kWhof onboard battery capacity allowing the trailer to propel itself and achieve near-zero range or efficiency loss for the tow vehicle.
• A no-compromise battery system that can provide a week of off-grid power without charging. Coupled with up to 3kWof solar power, the RV can power the living needs of its occupants and eliminates the reliance on propane and other fossil fuels.
• An ecosystem of all-electric appliances, connected features, and modern amenities for a seamless camping experience.
• The Lightship L1 has a starting price of $125,000 or $118,400 after an available tax credit and is available now for a $500reservationatwww.lightshiprv.com. Production is expected to begin in late 2024.

Lightship L1 Travel Trailer specifications:

• Length: 27 feet
• Width: 8 feet 6 inches
• Height: 6 feet 9 inches (road mode); 10 feet (camp mode)
• Interior height: 7 feet 6 inches
• Gross Vehicle weight: 7,500 lbs (fully loaded)
• Sleeping capacity: 4-6 depending on configuration

Solar roof is the key to allowing the RV to not need fossil fuels.

The LT1 Lightship Travel Trailer has the following electrical features:

• Drive Motor: All-electric (L1 Long Range Version)
• Battery Capacity: 40 kWh, 80 kWh options
• Towing Range: Up to 300 miles
• Solar Generation Capacity: Up to 3kW
• Off-grid power: 7 days (while running appliances)

L1 Lightship is a premium level RV and while today you can find many 27 foot long travel trailers from the mass market that is under $50,000, the premium segment has continued to show growth.

Lightship is focused on the lifestyle folks that want to go and explore the world while treading as careful as possible.

A $500 deposit is all it takes to reserve a Lightship travel trailer. There are two options at launch:

L1 Essential, All-electric Camping - Starting price of $125,000 ($118,400 after tax credit)

L1 Long Range, All-electric camping + drive motor - Starting price of $151,500 ($139,600 after tax credit)

L1 Lightship Reservation Link

 

 

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[Drew Dowdell]

The electric booster idea is primo!

I love the tail-end views. It reminds me of the tail car from the famous Hiawatha luxury train.

 

But if I'm spending 6 figures, I don't want it to look like I just bought the furniture from a hospital cafeteria last remodeled in 1987

[G. David Felt]

4 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The electric booster idea is primo!

I love the tail-end views. It reminds me of the tail car from the famous Hiawatha luxury train.

 

But if I'm spending 6 figures, I don't want it to look like I just bought the furniture from a hospital cafeteria last remodeled in 1987

In writting this up, I felt the Tesla minimalist approach to the interior had taken hold and to me that is a major failure for me. This is so cold and steril that it is a major blockage for me buying this trailer.

Agree with you that the powered trailer concept is a great one in helping get around with minimal drag on either EV or ICE trucks/suvs.

I do love the solar roof.

The window approach does make it nice to watch sunsets when your inside.