The Electric Future of Motorhomes and Camper Vans

[Mr Drizz]

I've been think of what the future of motorhomes and camper vans will be once the switch to full electric is complete.

It might take a while but at some point the only viable option will be electric vans. Anything the burns a fuel is going to be priced off the road.

I know a lot of people might be worried about range but I don't see that as an issue if you're heading to a camp site that has charging point, or destination charging. Now finding a site that has charging (not just shore power) will be a whole other issue.

Heating and hot water in an all electric MoHo will be a massive drain on the battery so wild camping will have some challenges.

What are your thoughts on the electric future for motorhomes and camper vans?

 

[Neil S]

I’ll not be bothering with an electric Motorhome because it will be beyond my price range
I don’t see it happening for a long time
It’s not as if diesel and petrol will disappear in the next 5 years so to be honest I don’t care

 

[Mr Drizz]

I’ll not be bothering with an electric Motorhome because it will be beyond my price range
I don’t see it happening for a long time
It’s not as if diesel and petrol will disappear in the next 5 years so to be honest I don’t care

You are right fossil fuel won't disappear but the price to TAX and purchase it will become prohibitive.

The total ban on new ICE vehicles is only 9 years away.

 

[Spriddler]

Much debated on several threads on here already.
80 comments on this thread a couple of weeks ago.

The Future of Diesel and Petrol Motorhomes

Hi everyone :) I read today that the UK wants to stop the sale of all new Diesel and Petrol vehicles by 2030 and France the same by 2035. How are you all factoring this in when purchasing a MoHo? Does it bother you? Have you even thought about it? Is it too far in the future to worry...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Neil S]

You are right fossil fuel won't disappear but the price to TAX and purchase it will become prohibitive.

The total ban on new ICE vehicles is only 9 years away.

Yeah and a lot can happen in nine years
And for the low mileage I do with my own private car I don’t care if fuel becomes £2.50 a litre because I’ll still buy it
Not interested in your battery cars and never will be

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[Peppadog]

Have you tried one? Is the world flat!

 

[Neil S]

Have you tried one? Is the world flat!

Yes and for the 3,000 - 3,500 miles
I do per annum the outlay to buy a medium sized battery car is way to expensive

Why should I spend 30k+ when I do such a low mileage per year

 

[LesW]

Have you tried one? Is the world flat!

I'd be very surprised if anyone on this forum has actually tried an electric campervan.

 

[Lenny HB]

Don't use sites and most car charging points you can't park a large Motorhome at so I'd be stuffed.
Electric cars don't make financial sense to me and I can't see a Motorhome doing it.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I’m my humble opinion, electric/battery cars don’t make financial sense to most of us.

Any current electric motorhome wouldn’t be much use. Mercedes sprinter vans have a sun 80 mile range.

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[pappajohn]

I doubt gas fired appliances will be banned.
If they did get rid of bottled gas they would have to do the same with the national gas network and LPG bottle powered domestic systems.
British gas, Calor and all the smaller LPG suppliers would be out of business overnight.
It's only fossil fuel powered vehicles which will be phased out.

 

[Quackers]

Will have to dig up the lawn at Woodside Field and put electric in if it takes off. It wont be £12 a night anymore.

 

[pappajohn]

An example of why an electric vehicle is no good for me.
We are currently renting a cottage for a month in Northumberland and we do a lot of miles every day.
Parking is on the opposite side of the road.... How could I run a charge cable across a footpath and road?
Public charge points.... In rural Northumberland.
If there are any they must be further apart than supermarkets and they are few and far between.

 

[TinaLes]

EV Motor Homes!??? Well Bloody Set Sail! .....Oh hang on, we might have to!
LES

 

[cmcardle75]

I doubt gas fired appliances will be banned.
If they did get rid of bottled gas they would have to do the same with the national gas network and LPG bottle powered domestic systems.
British gas, Calor and all the smaller LPG suppliers would be out of business overnight.
It's only fossil fuel powered vehicles which will be phased out.

Gas appliances are very much on the way to being banned. Whilst no date is announced, gas boilers banned in new homes by 2025 and I doubt it will be long until gas hobs are too. Besides, induction hobs are much nicer than gas ones.

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[cmcardle75]

I’m my humble opinion, electric/battery cars don’t make financial sense to most of us.

Any current electric motorhome wouldn’t be much use. Mercedes sprinter vans have a sun 80 mile range.

Whilst they won't make sense to many, they do in high mileage scenarios. I'm saving a packet over diesel/petrol at 12,000 miles a year. At 3,500 miles a year, that would most definitely not apply.

 

[cmcardle75]

Yeah and a lot can happen in nine years
And for the low mileage I do with my own private car I don’t care if fuel becomes £2.50 a litre because I’ll still buy it
Not interested in your battery cars and never will be

You might be if the battery car cost as much as an ICE car, whilst the fuel was 1/10th the price. That will likely be the scenario in 9 years.

 

[cmcardle75]

Heating and hot water in an all electric MoHo will be a massive drain on the battery so wild camping will have some challenges.

Certainly, those wanting to stay put whilst wild camping would be worst affected. However, wild camping whilst travelling would just require fast charging at regular intervals. The massive batteries would be fine for heating/cooking in a well insulated van, provided they were topped up regularly. 1kg of propane = 14kWh. So a 13kg cylinder that would last most people a week or two, even using heating, is 2 hours charging on a standard 100kW fast charger. By the time electric campers are common, the standard fast charger will be 3 times that and common. OK, batteries are too small and expensive at the moment, but they won't be forever. Everything is moving to electric and the van will be more efficient per person than a house, so there will be enough supply capacity generally.

 

[Spriddler]

I get the impression from several techy articles that Li batteries are inefficient at low temps and also that they shouldn't be charged if the ambient is 0degC or lower as it can cause terminal damage to the battery (ies) so how do EV's manage in cold climes (e.g. Scandinavia) or when the EV (or m/homes) are at altitude, e.g. on a skiing trip?

Here's just one of many sources that says:

'When it comes to recharging lithium-ion batteries, however, there’s one hard and fast rule: to prevent irreversible damage to the battery, don’t charge them when the temperature falls below freezing (0°C or 32°F) without reducing the charge current'.

Introducing RELiON’s Low-Temperature Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries

RELiON has developed a new series of lithium iron phosphate batteries that can charge at temperatures down to -20°C (-4°F). Cold temperature charging has never been easier!

relionbattery.com

 

[glenn2926]

I get the impression from several techy articles that Li batteries are inefficient at low temps and also that they shouldn't be charged if the ambient is 0degC or lower as it will cause terminal damage to the battery (ies) so how do EV's manage in cold climes (e.g. Scandinavia) or when the EV (or m/homes) are at altitude, e.g. on a skiing trip?

Never mind Scandinavia etc. We have temperatures below zero for days at a time in winter. We’re only in Yorkshire. Electric vehicles must surely be useable in winter.

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[dunnah01]

Electric motorhomes would need to have some legitimate green credentials when compared to any existing IC engined Moho. Currently they are a long long way away from being close to a green (or cheap) solution.

 

[cmcardle75]

I get the impression from several techy articles that Li batteries are inefficient at low temps and also that they shouldn't be charged if the ambient is 0degC or lower as it will cause terminal damage to the battery (ies) so how do EV's manage in cold climes (e.g. Scandinavia) or when the EV (or m/homes) are at altitude, e.g. on a skiing trip?

They have internal heaters. For a few minutes, rather than charging, your EV will be heating the batteries so that they can be charged.

 

[Spriddler]

They have internal heaters. For a few minutes, rather than charging, your EV will be heating the batteries so that they can be charged.

Ta, but I haven't read that people replacing their m/h leisure batteries with Li have been fitting heaters.
They may change their on-board charger to be Li compatible but when driving in sub zero temps will their m/h alternator adjust as well?

 

[cmcardle75]

Ta, but I haven't read of people replacing their leisure batteries with Li fitting heaters.

Most don't bother, but there are some that do. I didn't bother, but because Lithium batteries are smaller and don't have the noxious gas making qualities that lead acids do, you can keep them in the warm part of the van. This means that it is easy to keep them above zero for charging without additional charge mats. If you keep your battery outside the habitation zone, charge mats are readily available should you have a need for sub-zero charging.

 

[Spriddler]

....you can keep them in the warm part of the van. This means that it is easy to keep them above zero for charging without additional charge mats. If you keep your battery outside the habitation zone, charge mats are readily available should you have a need for sub-zero charging.

Thanks. I'm just mulling over the implications and learning as I get the impression that most just fit the Li batteries where the previous 'ordinary' ones were sited and don't (can't) relocate them or don't fit heater mats. As glenn2926 wrote you only have to go to Lancashire to suffer zero deg.

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[cmcardle75]

They may change their on-board charger to be Li compatible but when driving in sub zero temps will their m/h alternator adjust as well?

The alternator can't tell the difference between a B2B charger and any other high wattage load. It will simply provide the power required.

 

[cmcardle75]

Thanks. I'm just mulling over the implications and learning as I get the impression that most just fit the Li batteries where the previous 'ordinary' ones were sited and don't (can't) relocate them or don't fit heater mats.

Indeed. If they keep them in a cold part and want to charge them in sub-zero temperatures, they're out of luck. Typically the BMS will just disconnect the cells to avoid damage. Few people will even try to charge in sub-zero temperatures (remember that they have almost zero self-discharge, so leaving them connected over winter doesn't count as charging). With no load, a lithium battery will hold charge for years. Decades even.

 

[Spriddler]

The alternator can't tell the difference between a B2B charger and any other high wattage load.

I was thinking of the motorhome's on-board mains charger rather than a B2B.

It will simply provide the power required.

But the vehicle's alternator won't adjust its output for cold weather, will it?

 

[BusyBuilder]

EV's will be a laugh a minute up here in the Highlands.

 

[Spriddler]

EV's will be a laugh a minute up here in the Highlands.

I assume that with EV's (especially those kept out of doors) after plugging in the charging lead the heating pad will be initiated via an intelligent controller circuit for long enough to warm the battery before it permits charging to commence.

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