What happens When Tesla, Rivian, Proterra, Lucid, and Zoox veterans leverage their automotive EV design and development expertise to disrupt the stagnant RV industry?

[RV_]

On 4/12/2023 at 6:24 AM, Kirk W said:

  A Brief History of the Electric Car, 1830 to Present

Good article. I predict that Rivian will fade away or have a sudden bankruptcy. I was wrong about them even though they are in limited production with no final ramp yup in sight. I have a dear friend that swears by battery swaps as the solution but no one want to keep spare batteries yet we all have electric to our houses apartments and businesses. Tesla already solved any range anxiety with the sheer volume of Supercharger stations and destination charge stations. And navigation in Tesla includes Superchargers in or trip navigation, so we don't run out. They take under 30 minutes to charge from empty. It takes longer than that to eat lunch and walk the pupper.

As for flying cars which is not the electric self propelled Travel trailer this is about I'll bite happily.

Excerpt:

"9 Personal Flying Vehicles — CleanTechnica’s New “Flying Car” Overview Page

Have you ever dreamt of “driving” a flying car just like in Back to the Future? Well, this might happen in real life sooner than you ever expected. But, rather than flying cars, the technology that is being developed today looks more like human-sized drones."

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/03/24/flying-cars-overview/#:~:text=9 Personal Flying Vehicles — CleanTechnica’s New “Flying,6 Joby S2 ... 7 AeroMobil 3.0

Jetson unveils its single-seat ONE eVTOL vehicle ahead of limited 2022 production

https://electrek.co/2021/10/22/jetson-unveils-its-single-seat-one-evtol-vehicle-ahead-of-limited-2022-production/

Lots of other Aerial Electric vehicles available now and more coming.fixed wing and designs already in production.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/04/stellantis-archer-aim-to-deliver-electric-flying-cars-by-2025.html#:~:text=Electric flying vehicles are designed to propel themselves,to become a consumer’s personal mode of transport.

Archer expects that its electric flying cars will be available for commercial use by 2025, granted it receives proper certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. To meet that deadline, Stellantis, which is accustomed to producing over 500,000 cars per month, will assist in Archer’s manufacturing process.

“We see a perfect complementarity, a perfect synergy between what they are doing and what we can bring namely, but not only on the manufacturing system,” said Tavares. “Manufacturing and high-volume manufacturing is something we think we know how to do.”

Stellantis, which was created by the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Groupe, has already spent billions developing electric vehicles through brands like Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler. The company is pushing into the eVTOL market even as recession fears weigh on automakers:

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/04/stellantis-archer-aim-to-deliver-electric-flying-cars-by-2025.html#:~:text=Electric flying vehicles are designed to propel themselves,to become a consumer’s personal mode of transport.

TOP 12 Personal VTOL Aircrafts | Best Ultralight Flying Vehicles

Awesome!

Edited April 15, 2023 by RV_

[bruce t]

RV the Jetsons were pure fantasy. Figment of someone's overactive imagination. Is history repeating itself?

 

[Star Dreamer]

On 4/14/2023 at 7:20 PM, RV_ said:

Star, you can contact them directly via the link in the OP for specifics. As I said up front lots of these startups fail and this one may too. However the folks involved are all EV enthusiasts so likely got started trying to tow a trailer without losing all they range.

Some of your questions are answered in the videos too.

I hope they do succeed but if not, no issue, I'll just be disappointed.

So get back to us here if you find your answers.

I didn't see or hear anything in the videos that indicates how it communicates with the tow vehicle. I am sure they are working on a solution but the retrofit to an older tow vehicle may be costly. For less than their base model, we had a trailer built that is twice the size of theirs. We purposely went with slideouts because our previous trailers didn't have any and we were tired of doing a dance to get past each other. As with anything in RVing, it is all about what you are willing to compromise one. I think there is a market for it and will have people that want it, just not us as I do not see it meeting our needs. 

[Anawilliam850]

It's certainly interesting to see startups like Lightship emerging and bringing innovative solutions to the RV industry. The idea of a self-propelled trailer that can help pull its own weight and reduce the range impact of towing with an electric vehicle is intriguing, and it will be interesting to see how well it performs in the real world.

As with any new technology, it's difficult to predict whether it will catch on and become more affordable over time. However, as the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, it's likely that we will see more startups and established companies alike exploring new ways to make RVing with electric vehicles more practical and accessible.

[RV_]

19 hours ago, Star Dreamer said:

I didn't see or hear anything in the videos that indicates how it communicates with the tow vehicle. I am sure they are working on a solution but the retrofit to an older tow vehicle may be costly. For less than their base model, we had a trailer built that is twice the size of theirs. We purposely went with slideouts because our previous trailers didn't have any and we were tired of doing a dance to get past each other. As with anything in RVing, it is all about what you are willing to compromise one. I think there is a market for it and will have people that want it, just not us as I do not see it meeting our needs. 

Probably similar to the self-propelled Airstream. Go here to 4:40 into the video where they explain their version. I am glad I posted as it seems these are still all under the radar. It appears that now we all know EVs are here to stay, some RV manufacturers are already doing ell electric self-propelled trailers with more on the way.

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by RV_

[RV_]

On 4/11/2023 at 8:13 PM, bruce t said:

Back in the 1960s The Jetsons made all sorts of predictions. I'm still waiting 60 years later.

 

 

[RV_]

On 4/16/2023 at 11:28 PM, bruce t said:

RV the Jetsons were pure fantasy. Figment of someone's overactive imagination. Is history repeating itself?

 

Beats me, you brought them up on page one and I answered that they were but showed how many of what they portrayed as fiction has become reality.

[RV_]

On 4/11/2023 at 8:13 PM, bruce t said:

Back in the 1960s The Jetsons made all sorts of predictions. I'm still waiting 60 years later.

 

 

[bruce t]

RV you need a thicker skin. It's obvious that I made a tongue in cheek comment. Well obvious to some!

Over the years how many times have we all heard predictions of what the future will be like? Cures for cancer spring to mind.

All I know is that our grandkids will be inventing and using things that we never even thought of. 

Note the - here's something none of us thought of https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65296763

 

[Kirk W]

5 hours ago, bruce t said:

All I know is that our grandkids will be inventing and using things that we never even thought of

In case you didn't get to see it, the TV show 60 Minutes did a story about AI and what is coming.  The AI revolution: Google's developers on the future of artificial intelligence

And the follow up part: AI impact to be more profound than discovery of fire, electricity

[Ray,IN]

Buck Rogers was darting around the universe in a rocket ship 70 years ago. Wonder where NASA got the idea?

[Kirk W]

9 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

Wonder where NASA got the idea?

Jules Verne's 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon

[RV_]

On 4/19/2023 at 12:09 AM, bruce t said:

RV you need a thicker skin. It's obvious that I made a tongue in cheek comment. Well obvious to some!

Over the years how many times have we all heard predictions of what the future will be like? Cures for cancer spring to mind.

All I know is that our grandkids will be inventing and using things that we never even thought of. 

Note the - here's something none of us thought of https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65296763

 

No thin skin here. Sorry were you trying for that? should there have been offense? Oops hit the post button too soon.

Yes I agree that they are going to be doing things we never dreamed of. Like many folks thought EVs and renewables would never work. Then that they'd never catch on. Now the rest of the vehicle industry is starting to try to catch up on BEVs and PHEVs. So being interested in EVs I followed the only one making highway capable BEVs from 2003 on. 

I never heard of or thought of putting an EV battery system and motor in a trailer for EV towing either. And I am all for EVs. It does seem like some manufacturers are shooting themselves in the foot however. In a world where the leading BEVs gets 300 - 400 miles per charge in their SUV  for ~ $52k Toyota PHEVs (35 miles on battery) are asking more with $57k being a price I saw yesterday when we went shopping over the weekend.

We are shopping a PHEV for my wife now and are getting very frustrated  shopping. There are some that still only get 10 miles on battery and a long wait list still because the transition to primarily EVs is lagging. We looked at the EVs available from all the other major brands too and they have 250 miles range and less for more then the Tesla except the compact cars. My lumbar and cervical issues from the military make low cars like the Model 3 which I ordered and had to decline because twisting and getting in and out tweaks my back it is so low!

Never mind AWD, scarce as hen's teeth!

So we may just end up being a two Model Y family although Lynn is a bit scared of driving mine because of the acceleration. However it took years for her to trust plain vanilla cruise control. 

Her Forester is still like new and has adaptive cruise with "Eyesight" cameras and anti collision as well as handling stop and go traffic without the lane keeping the Tesla has. 

I think the next big thing in EVs may be the Solid State battery:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/how-will-solid-state-batteries-make-electric-vehicles-better-2021-09-07/#:~:text=TOKYO%2FSINGAPORE%2C Sept 7 (Reuters) - Solid-state batteries could,accelerate the shift away from fossil fuel-powered cars.

   

Edited April 20, 2023 by RV_

[RV_]

Actually many scientists credit science fiction with inspiring them. As well I read a paper in Psych class years ago that postulated that when a Science fiction novel, most based on some actual science they extrapolate further, becomes a worldwide best seller it can influence the real scientists. Many admit to having their cognitive insight, or AHA! moment, after reading one and going back to work to make it real.

This video covers instances of that happening:

 

[bruce t]

I have no issues with what is coming in the way of innovation and change. Bring it on. What I STRONGLY object to is governments forcing the issue. Let the market decide. 

Here in Australia government policy has forced the early closure of coal generated electricity. Yet renewables aren't yet available to fill the gap. (Just a note - our federal government has set a target of renewable for 2030 that requires the installation of 22000 solar panels a day. Government figures not hearsay. That's 330000 a day in USA population terms). No planning, just ideology. Government is interfering in the EV market to 'force' the share of EVs in the market with legislation. Yet Australians want pickups. Our biggest sellers are fossil fueled pickups. American RAMs are one of the biggest sellers. So who's right? Government ideology or consumer demands?

Australian taxpayers are paying to have charging stations installed along highways. Over easter one of Australia's best known motoring writers pulled into a government funded charging station on our busiest freeway to charge his EV. 6 of the 8 chargers didn't work. He had to wait an hour to have his turn at the charger. And hour afterwards he had enough charge to move on. 2 hours v 15 minutes to fill a gas tank? My point is that let the government plan anything at it will go to #$@% very quickly.

Bring on innovation but don't let a politician have anything to do with the planning!!