Lean green camping machine

A ‘world first’ electric campervan is set to be unveiled at the NEC Motorhome and Caravan Show in the UK next week.

Campervan conversion specialist Hillside Leisure has taken a Nissan e-NV200 electric van (not currently available in Australia) and given it a four-berth campervan makeover in time for the major UK show.

Other common campervan features will include a two-burner cooktop, LED lighting, on-board water tank, 39 litre fridge, plus the convenience of a spinning front passenger seat and rear seat that converts to a bed.

The Nissan camper also has some neat tricks like a pre-heating control operated by a smart phone.

However, it’s the electric powertrain (essentially a 24kWh lithium ion battery running an 80kW electric motor) that will attract all the attention, with claims that it’s up to four times more efficient than the equivalent diesel-powered version.

Other advantages of the 4.5m long electric camper, which has a 122km/h top speed, is its “vibration free, emission free, noise free drivetrain” and “40 per cent lower servicing costs” thanks to the lack of engine oil, belts, gearbox or clutch.

However, like most electric vehicles, owners will have to deal with some degree of ‘range anxiety’ as it will only travel 170km on a single charge.

"We believe this conversion will be a first in the industry, indeed in the world, and the start of the electric revolution in our market,” said Mark Cross, director of Derby-based Hillside Leisure.

“We went to great lengths to ensure delivery of the brand new Nissan e-NV200 electric van, which is the first one in the country, and we've used our in-house team of highly skilled craftsmen to create our unique campervan conversion."

The UK is probably as good a place as any to introduce an electric campervan conversion, with around 7000 charging points located throughout the region. A normal ‘overnight’ charge takes around eight hours, although charging points fitted with a dedicated ‘quick’ charger can reduce that to 30 minutes (80 per cent charge).

The Derby-based company says it will also lobby caravan parks to install charging points to cater for battery-powered campervans.

“Electricity is the future of travel and we’ll certainly be having a chat with campsite networks such as The Caravan Club about the use of 16amp EHUs on their campsites for overnight charging,” Cross said.