First all-electric motorhome launched in Europe

The first all-electric motorhome has gone on sale in Europe. The model – called the Iridium E Mobil – has no engine and relies solely on batteries for its motive and habitation power.

The motorhome’s range is currently between 120 miles (200km) and 180 miles (300km) between charges. However, the manufacturer suggests longer ranges will soon be possible in future due to capacity increases in the batteries it is using.

It was displayed for the first time in public at the recent CMT show in Stuttgart, Germany, and, while we have seen other prototype all-electric motorhomes displayed at German shows, this is the first one that is production ready and on sale to the public.

The price in Germany, the only country where it is currently available, is quoted to be €169,000 (£150,500) and the first deliveries to customers are expected to be in August. There is currently no British retailer or a right-hand drive version available.

The motorhome has been produced as part of a cooperation project involving Stuttgart-based electric vehicle specialist, EFA-S, which converts delivery vans from diesel to electric power, and the Iridium brand of Germany’s WOF motorhome distributor, as well as a motorhome coachbuilder in Switzerland.

WOF, which means motorhome outlet factory (whonmobil is German for campervan) and specialises in retailing coachbuilt motorhomes in Germany, is marketing the new motorhome to the public.

"It will not be a preliminary study, but customers can buy and drive this vehicle in 2019," said a WOF spokesman. "With the electrically powered Iridium motorhome, we are taking a big step towards sustainable travel and camping. In addition, especially the buyers of high-quality vehicles want to be sure that with their investment they can still go anywhere in a few years and are not thwarted by driving bans."

The motorhome body is constructed by Maurer Fahrzeugbau, a Swiss manufacturer of high-end coachbuilt motorhomes under the Starliner name. it makes bodies in both traditional sandwich construction, as well as monocoque bodies.

Meanwhile, the entire electric drivetrain comes from the Swabian conversion specialist EFA-S, which has already converted about 200 trucks of the parcel service UPS to pure electric vehicles.

EFA-S electrified the powertrain for the motorhome, which is based on a Fiat Ducato, and fitted the complete battery system to provide power to drive the front axle.

“EFA-S has again utilised the tried-and-tested components of Aradex when it comes to retrofitting the drive, as in previous projects,” said an EFA-S spokesman. “This includes a synchronous motor of the product line Vectormotor, which is optimally designed for traction applications with a rated speed of 2,675rpm and a maximum torque of 700Nm.”

The Lithium iron phosphate batteries can be charged using conventional 230V 13A sockets, as well as standard electric car chargers providing up to 22kW and rapid charging stations providing up to 50kW.