Electric trucks are flavour of the month and as previously reported there’s no shortage of models on their way like the e-Canter or Merc’s Urban eTruck.
German campervan manufacturer Dethleffs has taken an innovative approach to the question of charging – and one that the trucking industry should be paying close attention to.
The company’s new e.home concept uses solar panels on the exterior surfaces to recharge the motorhome’s battery and to power the 107hp electric motor.
The e.home is built on an electric Iveco Daily chassis and with the weight of the van has a range of just over 160km.
The solar panels can generate up to 3,000 watts of electricity to power the 228-Ah sodium-nickel-chloride battery.
Besides the solar panels and electric motor, there are other efficient tricks to the e.home concept, like a heating system that uses phase change materials to absorb heat when the outside temperature rises above 26 degrees, then releasing it into the cabin as the temperature falls at night.
Infrared heating panels are also used in the panels in the floor, walls and furniture.
