Recreational vehicles cost big bucks and are often big gas guzzlers. Can you even imagine traveling across the country in an RV, without regularly fueling up at gas stations? Well, now you can, and you’ll be able to get away from it all in a completely solar-powered, electric motorhome that doesn’t leave a carbon footprint behind you!
German RV company Dethleffs has built an RV prototype that is completely powered by the sun. Called the e.home, this large, Type C motorhome is covered in over 300 sq ft of thin-film solar panels. The panels can generate 3,000 watts of electricity, powering the vehicle for 175 miles per charge. It also has the significant advantage of being able to run all the extra home devices without any additional type of energy source—the e.home supplies all the on-board services with electricity for the living area, from its own solar power production.
New technologies are also adding to the comfort and safety of the vehicle. Built-in monitoring systems streamline vehicle operations and provide driver assistance, creating a “Smart Motorhome” that squeezes the most out of its power production. This extraordinary eco design also uses heat-releasing infrared panels in the floors, walls, and furniture and exterior heat absorbent materials that release heat inside, when the temperature drops at night outside.
The luxury e.home eco RV also features a sofa lounge and dining area that converts into a bedroom, complete with starlit ceiling. Creature comforts include a sleek kitchen, bathroom, and flat-panel TV, along with a wireless charging pad for mobile devices, all powered by the sun. Dethleffs is making its e.home part of its future lineup of RVs, inspiring other manufacturers while bringing green, off-grid mobile living to a highway near you.
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Arroyo Seco Live. Building community through creativity. SecoLive.org Audio file on SoundCloud:
https://exchange.prx.org/pieces/358196-gn_7-09-solar-road-trip.tap-the-power
Transcript PDF:
https://mcusercontent.com/6dd23531465f1c13f80eb7d84/files/ef07552e-17b5-4c84-9448-75b0c6806722/GN_7.08_SolarRoadTrip.pdf
