Is it electric – or not? With great fanfare, Jayco says next year it will market its new Embark EV extended-range Class A RV. What makes an EV truly an electric vehicle? We suspect most would say, “It runs on electricity, you don’t need gas or diesel.”
Embark EV extended-range Class A RV – yours for nearly a half-million
Many RVers have been skeptical about an all-electric Class A, and Jayco’s new Embark EV shows why that caution is justified. While the coach features an electric drivetrain, it still depends heavily on gasoline and other traditional RV systems to function for long trips. The Embark EV is expected to have limited production over the next year and carries an MSRP of around $460,000, putting it in the luxury motorhome range.
‘The vehicle is not hybrid in the traditional sense of using a gas or diesel engine when needs call for it. Instead, the engine only generates electricity for the batteries—it does not drive the wheels.’
“When THOR had asked us to partner with Harbinger to develop this, for us, it was an incredible opportunity to really lead the charge into what will probably be the next generation of RVing,” said Cory Weatherford, Jayco’s director of product development.
You won’t say “goodbye” to the gas pump
The Embark EV rides on a 22,000-pound chassis and runs on four large lithium batteries, giving it about 110 miles of pure electric range. To go farther, it uses a four-cylinder gasoline engine that powers a 45-kilowatt hour generator, which charges the batteries while driving or even when stopped. Weatherford explained, “Depending on driving conditions, you’re at approximately 475 to 500 miles.”
Jayco vice president of engineering Ryan Forgey clarified, “When we talk about 500 miles, that’s 500 miles not stopping. If you stop to eat, it will keep charging. Any time you stop, it can potentially make it go farther.” This shows that the gas engine is essential for longer trips and cannot be ignored.
“Not a hybrid in the traditional sense”
To be clear, “the vehicle is not hybrid in the traditional sense of using a gas or diesel engine when needs call for it.” Instead, the engine only generates electricity for the batteries—it does not drive the wheels. This makes the Embark EV more of an extended-range electric motorhome than a truly all-electric RV.
No need to clean your solar panels – but propane still required
Even solar power is not included. Weatherford said, “The largest panels that are on motorhomes today would be in the 1,000- to 1,500-watt range… really that would not even be a drop in the bucket.” That means RVers must rely on the gas generator, shore power, or other plug-in alternatives for recharging, though Tesla plug compatibility is not yet available.
Some systems still use propane. Heating comes from a Dometic furnace, hot water is provided by a Suburban tankless water heater, and the kitchen includes a combination induction/LP cooktop. These essential systems mean that even with the electric motor, the Embark EV still depends on traditional RV fuels for real-world living.
Despite the electric drivetrain, the Embark EV still needs gas and propane to function fully, making it a bridge technology rather than a truly all-electric Class A. Weatherford summed up the driving experience: “Riding in any EV today, they’re whisper quiet and we wanted to replicate that.” How do you get quiet, but still sit on top of a gasoline engine? Jayco says it’s doing a super-job with sound insulation. RVers should understand that quiet operation doesn’t mean fully electric functionality.
Even with its innovative electric motor and modern European-style interior, the Embark EV highlights the challenges of all-electric RVing. Long-distance trips, onboard utilities, and real-world living still require traditional fuels, so while this coach represents a step forward, it is not the all-electric motorhome many RVers have been waiting for.
Sources include RVBusiness.com. Read its full review here.
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RVT1223b
Interesting concepts but still seems a stretch for reality RVing. And above my pay grade as well..thanks for sharing this review.
I would really like to see an in depth review by Tony and/or Josh at some point in the future.
Thank you for the news, Russ and Tina! Either this is the first I have heard of this, or I saw something earlier, dismissed it as nonsense, and dispelled it from my memory. Sounds like a nice RV if you aren’t much into traveling. 😉 Have a great day and safe travels!
A gas or even diesel motor-generators make the most sense for this use case and many others like trucks and cars. They are far more cost effective and environmentally friendly than gas/diesel only or pure electric when factoring the size of the batteries and materials needs along with the end-to-end supply chain impacts. In the end, let consumers decide what works best for them without any forced mandates and/or regulations imposed by the bureaucrats.
May “make the most sense” today. Have you seen the all electric 18 wheelers?
At least the front looks aerodynamic, but the price will kill you.
An all ERV is just not practical yet. As has been seen in buses and OTR trucks etc, the massive size and weight requires massive battery capacity and the therefore massive charging capabilities. Maybe someday with further advances in tech but not in the near term imo.
Interesting the power and torque of electric with the range of fossil fuel probably would use less fossil fuel to charge batteries than power a motor home. Interesting but definitely above my pay grade
Jayco could easily have elimated propane entirely by using a gasoline-powered furnace-water heater combo. They are already being used on some off-road van campers. By adding that 1.5kw of roof solar and, say, 500-600A-h of conventional Li batteries, they could have made the kitchen and a 12v AC all-electric and eliminate the need for the gas generator except when actually driving. Losing a permanent propane tank and associated propane plumbing might offset the weight of the solar panels and Li batteries. And we hear about propane fires more often than gasoline fires in the destruction of RVs, so losing propane and switching to a diesel generator would increase safety!
I’m surprised (or maybe not) that Jayco engineers are adding propane fired appliances to the mix requiring yet another fuel source and the weight and space consumption of that tank. An electric/gas-fired boiler system would provide endless hot water as well as heat and dispense with the unnecessary propane hassle.
Another concern I would have is that it’s only on a 22K chassis. CCC?
My guess is that these won’t be flying out of dealerships, though it’s a closer solution than has been devised so far.
Looks like twice the systems to maintain and twice the opportunities to fail. And in an industry known for questionable quality and warranty service. So, no thanks.
This technology is not new to the world as the railroads have been using this concept in practice since diesel locomotives came on line. Locomotives are electric driven with a huge diesel engine to drive the generators and batteries to power the wheels. Like locomotives – this is expensive to purchase in an Rv. Unless you run out of gas or diesel, your range is unlimited! In either techno case, you have to buy gasoline or diesel or stop at a slow charging electric station.
My first thought as well, except the engine/alternators in the RV apparently can’t fully produce enough charge to offset the drain, hence the 500 mile limit. The big diesel generators in a locomotive can produce what is needed.
Not a bad start, though.
Why so negative on this first attempt? In fact this site is very negative on many things.