Lightship, a young startup company based in San Francisco and Boulder, Colorado, is set to revolutionize the RV industry with its innovative, all-electric L1 travel trailer. The L1, a purpose-built design, is loaded with modern-day innovations in aerodynamics, electric efficiency, and renewable energy. It is designed to transform the camping experience, using an all-electric, sustainable eco-system. Lightship was founded in 2020 by Ben Parker and Toby Kraus, two industry veterans who had notable tenures at Tesla and other electrified innovators like Proterra. The L1, a clean-sheet approach to the traditional RV, is built to be hyper-efficient while being towed before transforming into a spacious camping space offering a complete ecosystem of battery-powered amenities. The 27-foot trailer measures 8.5 feet wide and can power its height up and down from 6 feet 9 inches in road mode to ten feet tall when parked in camp mode, offering the capability to sleep 4-6 people. The L1 itself is equipped with its own electric powertrain and 80 kWh battery pack, allowing the trailer to propel itself behind the towing vehicle, offering near-zero range loss. The L1 has the potential to be a game-changer for the RV industry, ushering in a new era of sustainable, eco-friendly camping.
The idea for an electric RV was seeded when cofounder Ben Parker was working as a battery engineer on the Model 3 at Tesla. He noticed the nasty emissions from gas and propane generators pouring out of each food truck and into the next while frequenting the food trucks outside of Tesla. This sparked his interest in developing an electric RV. Parker left Tesla at the start of the pandemic to embark on a 6,000-mile journey across the US to speak with RV owners and identify the current wants and needs of a $140 billion a year industry.
After incorporating the Lightship brand from the road, Parker soon connected with Kraus, who shared an interest in bringing environmentally conscious technologies to new industries to support a cleaner future for his children and beyond. From there, the cofounders sought to take their knowledge of disruption and holistic design learned at companies like Tesla to apply it to the RV industry. Parker explained, “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.”
The L1 was developed after three years of research and development and was officially shared with the public in March 2023. The trailer is equipped with its own electric powertrain and 80 kWh battery pack, and when fully loaded, weighs 7,500 pounds. It can be towed by an electric pickup or combustion vehicle without the extensive range losses experienced by current electric truck owners. Lightship owners will someday be able to take longer road trips without stopping to recharge, or reach their destinations with even more power to spare when camped.
The L1 is built to be hyper-efficient while being towed, with a sleek and spacious design that transforms into a comfortable camping space offering a complete ecosystem of battery-powered amenities. The travel trailer is a clean-sheet approach to the traditional RV, with a focus on aerodynamics, electric efficiency, and renewable energy. Lightship's L1 has the potential to be a game-changer for the RV industry, ushering in a new era of sustainable, eco-friendly camping.
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