Who says you can’t travel in style while emitting zero emissions and paying a fair price? The Ford E-Transit-based Grounded G1, the first completely customised smart electric RV, was unveiled on Thursday by the Detroit-based electric RV startup. The electric RV’s subscription model makes it available at a low cost, and best of all, deliveries are scheduled to start in April.
Grounded introduces a cost-effective electric RV option
A group of ex-engineers from Tesla and SpaceX founded Grounded in 2022. The firm was given the opportunity to operate out of Ford and Newlab’s “Accessible Streets Studio” in Detroit, which was created for testing brand-new electric vehicles for a greener tomorrow.
With the mission of “making incredible items that will allow people to discover more without destroying the environment,” Grounded intends to take the lead with totally electric, zero-emission RVs that can be customised.
The Grounded G1, according to the firm, is the first fully customised smart electric RV in the world.
According to Grounded, it created the G1 in light of the rise in outdoor activity brought on by the epidemic. More crucially, it complemented the development of the infrastructure for charging outdoor electric RVs.
Sam Shapiro, a pragmatic CEO and a former Senior Software Engineer at SpaceX (where he implanted software for Starlink):
“The Grounded G1 provides individuals the independence and freedom to live, work, and travel anywhere while remaining sustainably a part of the natural world”.
The G1 is based on Ford’s E-Transit platform and is the most popular electric commercial van in the US. It has a range of up to 108 miles, a smooth ride and handling, and a roomy interior with the following amenities:
- Queen-size bed
- Pull-out table and bench seating
- a kitchen with a sink, a refrigerator/freezer, and an induction cooktop
- storage spaces above the garage
- Outdoor bathroom
- Dry-flush WC
Also, a 650-Watt solar power capacity that is already there is utilized to power appliances and boost the charge in the engine.
According to Shapiro, the business has created a novel assembly technology that enables them to produce specialised models at scale with “near-infinite” configurations. You can operate devices, lights, temperature, view charging, fuel, water use, and other statistics, as well as get diagnostics, through the Grounded app.
With a $2,300 a month subscription, Grounded makes its electric RV more flexible and inexpensive for everyone, making it a good choice for people who don’t like to commit fully.
Otherwise, the pricing is $125,000, and you can reserve it right now on Grounded’s website for a $100 refundable deposit. The G1 will start to be delivered in April 2023.
EAutoArena’s Opinion
A gas-powered RV can cost well over $500,000, so even though $125,000 may not seem reasonable, paying $2,300 a month gives individuals a viable alternative wanting to commit to a full purchase.
A subscription option doesn’t seem all that horrible for a personalised smart EV alternative when compared to other electric RV possibilities like the Bowlus Volterra, which starts at $310,000, or the Lightships L1 all-electric RV trailer, which costs $125,000.