EVs

Lightship’s Electric RV Is a Battery Beast That Basically Tows Itself

The pricey all-electric RV comes from two former Tesla employees.

by Jackson Chen

Lightship

EV technology may have revolutionized your daily commute, but those long RV getaways may have you burning fuel for miles and busting out the gas generator.

Lightship wants to change all that with its L1, an all-electric alternative that looks a lot different than the RVs we’re used to.

The new world of RVs

Lightship is the brainchild of two former Tesla employees, Ben Parker and Toby Kraus, who were set on changing up the RV market with an EV design.

Lightship

Lightship

The end result is Lightship’s first offering: the L1. The all-electric towable RV features an aerodynamic design on the outside and a self-propulsion system on the inside.

Lightship

The L1 has its own 80 kWH battery that powers an electric powertrain, which was designed to not weigh down the vehicle that’s towing it. This way, you won’t have any range or miles per gallon lost.

Shapeshifting RV

When being towed, the L1 measures 6 feet, 9 inches in its most aerodynamic form. When it’s stationary at the campsite, it can extend to 10 feet tall, giving you plenty of headroom inside.

Lightship

Lightship

The L1 measures 27 feet long by 8 feet, 6 inches wide. You can sleep between four to six people in the e-RV, depending on how you configure it.

Lightship

It may feel like you’re glamping in the L1, but Lightship lets you tackle backcountry camping, too. The L1’s battery system can give you a week of off-grid power, but you can also squeeze some extra charge out of the solar panels that provide 3 kW of power.

The cost of comfort

RVs were never cheap, so don’t expect any difference with the L1. It starts at $125,000, but Lightship says federal tax credits can bring it down to $118,400. Lightship is expecting to start production in late 2024, but you can already reserve your L1 for $500.

Lightship

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