London taxi maker building first electric camper van

The London Electric Vehicle Company is building a new taxi expected to be the first electric camper van.

The vehicle coming with a pop-top e-Camper, according to auto reviewers that have seen its features, appears to share resemblance of a typical London taxi. But they are amazed by the fact that the e-Camper will offer more than 60 miles (96km) of pure EV drive and a total range of over 300 miles (483km).

Despite the press release calling this an electric camper van, technically it is considered a hybrid, just like LEVC’s VN5 van on which it’s based.

The e-Camper will retail for £62,250 ($86,458) and the first deliveries are expected to commence in Q4 of this year, says Auto Evolution.

The e-Camper has been designed for people who want both to enjoy and protect the outdoor environment, and it all starts with its zero-emissions capability.

The powertrain consists of an electric motor, a battery, and a small three-cylinder gasoline engine.

LEVC believes there is huge potential for this vehicle across the UK as well as Europe.

The CEO of LEVC, Joerg Hofmann, says,

The CEO of LEVC, Joerg Hofmann, says, “The campervan market is growing rapidly and, despite these vehicles being used for coastal and countryside adventures which often include national parks and protected areas, they are still powered by petrol or diesel engines. This is a major conflict, we can see a shift in consumer attitudes, with demand for greener mobility solutions to help protect and improve air quality.

“Our new electric, zero-emissions capable e-Camper offers the perfect solution and is well-equipped with high quality features that can be tailored to meet a range of customer requirements.”

According to autoblog.com,  as for the camper parts, the e-Camper will have a typical pop-top hinged at the rear. It will be able to sleep up to four people, with two in the pop-top and two on the fold-down rear bench seat.

The rear part of the van is said to have an electrically-powered kitchenette and a fold-out table; while the front seats will be able to swivel around, so that there is plenty of indoor seating.

Auto Evolution notes, “When you’ve arrived at your campsite, you can use electricity alone to move around if needed, without negatively impacting the surrounding environment. Meanwhile, if you’ve gone really far off the beaten path, well, that’s where the range extender comes in.

“Other important features include sleeping accommodation for four, an integrated electric kitchenette, a pop-up roof (with sleeping for two), a second-row bench seat, and a central folding table. Once you’ve set up camp, you can swivel the first-row seats 180 degrees while sliding the second row back, thus creating enough room to dine and socialize. Thanks to the pop-up roof, you can even stand without worrying about your posture.”