LEVC e-Camper – taxi maker’s electric campervan has 1.5L range extender with 98 km EV range, sleeps four

Camping and the outdoors is big in Europe, and LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company, previously known as the London Taxi Company) is targeting that niche with this, the LEVC e-Camper. These are first impressions of the world’s first electric campervan and LEVC’s first product that’s not for work purposes.

The Geely-owned taxi maker says that the e-Camper offers both zero-emission capability with zero range anxiety, making it the perfect way to explore the great outdoors with the low environmental impact. The e-Camper meets growing demand for independent, self-contained holidays, a trend accelerated by both the Covid-19 pandemic and the search for more sustainable travel, LEVC says.

Based on LEVC’s VN5 electric van, which in turn is based on the TX electric London black cab, the e-Camper has the same pure EV range of 98 km, with a total flexible range of 489 km. The powertrain consists of a rear electric motor (150 PS), a 31 kWh lithium-ion battery and a 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine.

In the VN5, the front-mounted engine is not linked to the wheels, and only serves as a range extender when the battery is depleted. To manually recharge the battery, the vehicle supports AC charging of up to 11 kW via a Type 2/CCS charging port as well as DC charging of up to 50 kW using a CHAdeMO connection. The top Ultima version supports AC fast charging of up to 22 kW.

A range extender system is suitable for a campervan as it allows owners to travel off the beaten track, where there might be limited charging infrastructure, with peace of mind. The London black cab is famous for its tight turning circle, and this attribute could be useful in camping spaces.

On to the campervan-specific features. The e-Camper includes sleeping accommodation for four, an integrated electric kitchenette, a pop-up roof (incorporating sleeping for two) and a central folding table. The second-row bench seat folds into the second double bed.

LEVC says that when owners set up camp, they can swivel the first-row seats through 180 degrees and slide the second row back, creating enough room to dine and socialise around the deployable table. The pop-up roof creates standing room space for both the living and cooking areas and a single large sliding door makes entry to and exit from the living area easy.

For outdoor activities such as mountain biking and surfing, the e-Camper will support a range of proprietary racks. The cab company is also promising a wide choice of paint colours, with coloured bumpers and alloy wheels as this is not a commercial vehicle. Speaking of CVs, the VN5 that this e-Camper is based on is pretty cool – check it out here.

LEVC sees big potential for the e-Camper in the UK and Europe and – in partnership with UK-based campervan converter Wellhouse Leisure – first deliveries of the van will take place in in Q4 2021. Registration of interest is now open and the indicative list price is £62,250 (RM358,346) excluding VAT.

GALLERY: LEVC VN5

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