The most recent electrical RV idea from Thor is a Class A motorhome with massive batteries, electrical drive, and a range-extending generator. Will this PHERV (?) make it to manufacturing?
Visually much like Thor’s current Vegas Class A motorhome and co-developed by Thor and industrial EV producer Harbinger, this “world’s first hybrid RV” combines a gas-powered vary extender that can generate electrical energy to feed the RV’s big, 140 kWh battery packs. The batteries then ship energy to Harbinger’s eAxle (a proprietary electrical axle that mixes a motor, inverter, and gearbox right into a single unit) behind the RV’s ladder-style body. Together with the range-extender, the batteries must be good to ship, “an estimated 500 miles of vary.”
And, sure – it’s a completely disingenuous declare, in the identical method, and for a similar causes, that related claims from firms like Toyota and Ram that speak about “limitless vary.” To Thor’s credit score, although, it’s embracing the “hybrid” label.
Harbinger hybrid RV chassis
“Electrification will play a central function in the way forward for mobility, together with RVing,” mentioned THOR Industries President and CEO Bob Martin. “This primary-of-its-kind hybrid platform and our ongoing collaboration with Harbinger are reinforcing THOR’s management on this phase and creating main factors of product differentiation for our household of firms.”
They should. As our personal Peter Johnson wrote, “In case you haven’t seen already, extra electrical autos are going ‘off-grid’ to discover the outside, go tenting, and so on.” and people electrified choices – even those that “simply” electrify their turbines – are upgrading the campground expertise considerably by eliminating the sounds and smells of diesel and gasoline.
Thor hasn’t revealed pricing or inside options, however Harbinger made headlines just lately by asserting that its industrial EVs would attain value parity with diesel choices by the top of this 12 months. If that’s true, the primary manufacturing hybrid electrical RV from Thor might come to market with a price ticket that’s near (if not the identical) as its standard ICE fashions – and that looks like massive information to me.
Electrek’s Take
Whereas this would possibly appear to be a protracted solution to go simply to make a “PHERV-ert” joke, the launch of an electrified RV proudly carrying the phrase “hybrid” speaks volumes in direction of the altering attitudes about hybrids amongst America’s senior set. In 2024, a hybrid isn’t a rolling conservative punchline the way in which it was in 2004. As a substitute, it’s seen as a smart, middle-of-the-road possibility by individuals who have been preventing the electrification wave since the first-gen Prius got here to US showrooms practically 27 years in the past.
To which I say: no matter, man. Simply bear in mind to plug it in.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Thor Industries, by way of New Atlas.
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