Electric RVs are all the rage, at least in some circles. But they tend to be stuff of the future and not available now. However, we found one all-electric RV that you can buy today.
Nope, it’s not the futuristic Airstream eStream, Winnebago’s concept electric Class B motorhome, Thor’s electric motorhome or even the Lippert concept chassis. All of those are concepts or promises. This is the real deal. Well, depending on how high … or low … you set your standards.
You probably know about Amazon, the online shopping juggernaut that is such a part of life nowadays. But there is another similar company called Alibaba, which is sort of the Eastern version of Amazon. Alibaba can put you in touch with all those companies in China that make all sorts of stuff from tiny widgets to, well, electric motorhomes.
Electric three-wheeled motorhome
And today we have just that, an electric motorhome. Sort of. Shandong Everbright Foreign Trade Co., Ltd. will happily sell you this little three-wheeled beauty, which is fully electric with a 4,000-watt electric drive motor fueled by 7.2 kWh of lead-acid batteries on board. While no range is given for this little tuk-tuk trike, given the calculations and guesses, you have somewhere around 75 miles to get to the next charging station.
Better yet, you’ll be doing so on three wheels at a blistering 25 miles per hour. Maximum.
Oh, and with just a single front wheel and two out back, you probably won’t want to take any sort of corner at the top speed lest you repeat the kind of thing seen in the English Reliant Robin where you’ll be asking friends for assistance to right your wrong.
If you’re willing to navigate Alibaba’s world and get yourself one of these, it’ll cost you just $6,200. But then there is no Alibaba Prime, so shipping is going to be half again what the thing cost you at an estimated $2,500 smackaroos. But, for under $9 grand you’ll have the weirdest thing around. [Note: For orders of more than $10,000, there’s a coupon for $10 off.] Plus, considering that many side-by-sides are now approaching the price of a cheap car, think of all the fun you’ll have.
The RV, though
So, I wrote that this is an RV—and it is. Or, sort of an RV starter kit.
There’s a bunk above the cab like a proper Class C RV, and a dining table that folds into a bed. Oh, and about that dining table. The table itself is pretty low so you should become accustomed to eating while sitting on the ground. It’s more of a coffee table in height.
There’s a hatchback at the back that offers access to storage and cubbies much like you’d find in a teardrop trailer. The implication here is that you can troll Alibaba and get other goodies and gadgets to complete your transition to motorhome life.
230-volt and USB outlets throughout the electric RV
As the short video I attached indicates, both 230 volt (that’s what they use in China) outlets and USB outlets are in several places in here.
The good thing is KOA did say they were putting in charging stations so you can take advantage of that. Though, honestly, you won’t be able to navigate any roads other than back roads at 25 miles an hour. I’m not sure that the folks towing other RVs won’t want to see if they can blow you over if you are on the road.
At 25 miles per hour. Tops.
Maybe this is a collector’s item?
But this would be a great Burning Man rig, or just something if you have a lot of property and money and want to have the weirdest RV you possibly can. Well, other than something like a Corvair Ultravan, of course. But that’s not electric.
I would love to read your comments and suggestions over on our new forums, where you can weigh in and start or join a discussion about all things RV. Here’s a link to my RV Reviews Forum.
Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a lifelong RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. You can find his writing here and at StressLessCamping where he also has a podcast about the RV life with his wife.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
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This would make a good “food truck” for selling hot dogs. Forget about camping.
Make mine Chicago-style complete with nuclear-colored relish and all.
Tuk Tuks are fascinating little vehicles. Read more about them at Auto rickshaw-wikipedia. Have seen and rode a few in India and China. They are litterally undestructible and, while much smaller of course, are as versitile as the original Willys jeeps during wwII.
Ice cream truck camping!
For people that are 4’4″ tall and weigh in at a whopping 40 kilos.
My thought was, it looks like what would happen if an RV and an ice cream truck had a baby!
Looks like an ice cream truck.