Courtesy of Grounded RVs
There is an irony in escaping to the woods to enjoy fresh air and the sights and sounds of nature — by traveling to a campsite in a noisy, gas-guzzling recreational vehicle.
But are there EV campers? Several companies are manufacturing electric recreational vehicles that have all the equipment campers need, and others are converting RVs with internal combustion engines to EVs. Slowing greater adoption is the limited number of EV charging stations at campgrounds.
“The evolution of EV campers is an exciting development in outdoor hospitality,” said Stacey Campbell, senior director of campground design services at Kampgrounds of America, Inc. (KOA), which operates about 500 campgrounds across the U.S. “We believe in their potential and the many benefits they bring to our environment. KOA believes in celebrating the great outdoors, and part of that celebration includes being responsible environmental stewards.”
EV charger at Harpers Ferry/Civil War Battlefield KOA Holiday. Courtesy of Kampgrounds of America Inc.
About 10% of KOA campgrounds have EV chargers on-site and that number is expected to grow, especially since 29% of EV and prospective EV owners tow or plan to tow an RV using their EV, noted Campbell.
KOA research also indicated that 52% of campgoers would choose a campground with sustainability practices over one that does not, she added.
Because of their size, traditional RVs get lower gas mileage and have higher emissions than other vehicles. “There are tens of millions of tons of CO2 emitted from RVers in the U.S. alone every year,” said Sam Shapiro, CEO of Detroit-based electric camper van company Grounded, polluting the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.
This realization spurred interest in developing more environmentally friendly RVs among manufacturers and camping fans. About half of respondents to a recent survey had a favorable opinion of electric RVs, according to RVShare.
Among the challenges were designing campers with sufficient space, power and range. New companies have sprung up, including Grounded, which manufactures electric campers and vans, and Lightship. Thor Industries, the parent company of Airstream, this year is launching a hybrid RV with a 500-mile range when the gas engine kicks in.
Vacationers also can rent an EV RV, to determine if they like driving it and if it meets their camping needs.
The EV camper sector is poised for growth.
“We think that any development in EV campers is exciting and will be well-adopted among outdoor hospitality enthusiasts,” Campbell said.
AAA is not affiliated with or sponsored by the car manufacturers discussed in this article. The article reflects our own independent analysis.
AAA’s Recommendation: Whether you own an electric vehicle or a gas-powered car is up to you – and you should consider lots of factors in making that choice. No matter what type of vehicle you’re choosing, we recommend visiting a dealership, test driving one, and asking as many questions as possible to make an informed decision.
