The groundbreaking Dethleffs E.House Coco tenting trailer has taken one other large step towards actuality. Mum or dad firm Thor Industries and German automotive provider ZF Friedrichshafen are teaming as much as clear the hurdles that stand in the best way of a viable manufacturing trailer that makes use of electrical motive energy to maneuver its personal weight. The self-propelled trailer guarantees to be a vital software for eliminating the effectivity and vary reductions a trailer makes on its tow car, one thing that will likely be particularly useful within the electrical car age.
Earlier than the RV world sees the belief of self-driving motorhomes, it appears it'd welcome self-driving trailers. Germany's Dethleffs confirmed the primary fruits of this work in 2018, when it adopted up the unique solar-slathered E.House motorhome with the E.House Coco electrical trailer. That self-driving trailer, and Dethleffs' management in eco-friendly camper design typically, performed into Thor Industries' choice to amass Dethleffs' European guardian Erwin Hymer Group (EHG) in 2019 to turn out to be the world's largest RV producer.
"After we acquired EHG in 2019, there have been many synergies which made the acquisition essential to Thor," defined Thor's COO Todd Woelfer in a current announcement. "From our perspective, EHG was the worldwide chief in electrification innovation within the RV area. They'd initiated this [E.Home Coco] mission with ZF in 2018, earlier than we acquired the corporate."
Since that acquisition, Thor manufacturers have continued to work along with ZF to develop the electric-propelled trailer expertise, which Thor calls the eTrailer System. The concept is to make use of an built-in electrical motor drive to empower the trailer to maneuver its personal weight, dropping the efficient tow weight on the hitch to zero. Essentially the most vital a part of the eTrailer design is the digital sensor and management system that retains the trailer working on the similar pace because the tow car, reducing the tow load with out negatively affecting the protection, experience or dealing with.
Late final month, Thor introduced the newest step within the push for electrical trailer expertise: the execution of a binding memorandum of understanding with ZF. The settlement lays out the 2 firms' plans to collectively develop the proprietary eTrailer high-voltage electrical drive system for towable RVs.
"Our relationship with ZF provides Thor the unique rights to this expertise within the RV area for a sure interval and perpetual rights in key facets of the mental property supporting the event," mentioned Woelfer.
In July 2021, Dethleffs and ZF put the E.House Coco to a serious real-world check behind the Audi e-tron Sportback on a vacation-style journey they dubbed the Alps Problem. Beginning off with nearly-full Audi (96.4 p.c) and eTrailer (99 p.c) batteries, the crew towed the E.House Coco 240 miles (386 km) from Dethleffs' HQ in Isny, Germany to Lake Garda, Italy.
Rather more than a primary autobahn dash, the journey additionally concerned climbing and descending by means of the Alps, together with navigating the twists and turns of the Fern Move Highway in Tyrol, Austria. The crew accomplished the journey on a single cost, consuming 82 kWh from Audi's 95-kWh battery and 74 kWh from the E.House Coco's 80-kWh battery, factoring within the creation of a mixed 17 kWh from regeneration.
Dethleffs says that the e-tron Sportback it used for the check had a 244-mile (393-km) WLTP estimated vary, however even utilizing presently marketed 281-mile (452-km) WLTP or 218-mile (351-km) EPA figures, the eTrailer check was successful. The e-tron Sportback with E.House Coco drove to inside 41 miles (66 km) of its most estimated vary, and 22 miles (35 km) farther than its EPA-estimated vary, with out even utilizing its complete battery capability. In different phrases, the eTrailer motor system successfully negated the deleterious impact the trailer would have in any other case had on vary, permitting the e-tron Sportback to finish roughly the identical mileage it could have with no trailer.
Because the Alps Problem demonstrated, the eTrailer system may show a boon, notably for electrical tow automobiles, which have been estimated and proven to lose as much as half of their battery vary when towing hundreds. Electrical automobiles would have the ability to full journeys with out always having to cease to cost or risking operating out of battery energy.
The eTrailer may additionally assist different sorts of automobiles, together with ICEs and hybrids, enhance general effectivity and reduce gas consumption when towing.
Earlier than any of that occurs for precise RVers, although, Thor and ZF have some work left to do. Amongst their subsequent steps will likely be displaying the newest eTrailer idea at this yr's Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa, the place they may even spotlight an electrical car idea that includes range-extender expertise. The Florida SuperShow kicks off on Wednesday, January 19.
Supply: Thor Industries
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