During this year’s Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa, legacy RV and motorhome manufacturer Winnebago unveiled its all-electric, operational RV prototype called the eRV2. This zero-emission RV evolved from Winnebago’s eRV prototype and is being used for test drives to gather feedback from consumers before it reaches its final production-intent design. You’ve gotta check this thing out.
As Kleenex is to tissues and Q-Tip to cotton swabs, Winnebago is practically a synonym for recreational vehicles (RVs). While it has been building RVs and motorhomes for decades that are reliant on gas and diesel engines, the legacy brand has had the foresight to explore a future in which electric versions of its vehicles can become a reality, and we applaud that.
That being said, the company still has a ways to go. During the 2022 Florida RV SuperShow, Winnebago unveiled the eRV – an all-electric RV concept that truly kicked off its venture into zero emissions travel after a less successful attempt at an EV platform back in 2018.
The concept was built off the ever-popular Ford Transit platform, upfitted by a familiar name in Lightning eMotors. It utilized the vehicle’s body, chassis, and suspension, then was equipped with an 86 kWh battery that was expected to deliver 125 miles of range and charge time of 45 minutes on DC fast charger.
Now, almost a year later to the day, Winnebago has hit the Tampa RV show yet again with an all-electric encore called the eRV2. It’s still only a prototype, but it’s operational, available for test drives, and ever closer to becoming a genuine electric RV option for consumers. Have a look.
The all-electric eRV2 made its debut in front of a crowd in Florida today and will be on display through the weekend. Built upon a Ford E-Transit chassis similar to the concept it emerged from, this electric RV currently has a published range of … 108 miles. Hmm.
Winnebago appears well aware that is far too low of a number for a production version of this RV, stating it is “actively pursuing range extension opportunities to incorporate into a future commercial version.” Phew.
The motorhome specialist partnered with Lithionics Battery to create a proprietary “IonBlade” lithium house battery to be powerful and compact, featuring a 48V system capable of over 15,000 usable watt-hours.
Both the powertrain and house systems are powered by entirely by electricity, capable of up to seven days of boondocking (camping without any hookups to electricity, water, sewage). Winnebago states that this is made possible in part by the electric RV’s 900-watt solar capacity using panels on its roof (seen above).
How about the interior though? See for yourself.
If you’re making a zero emissions recreational vehicle, you best promote sustainability as much as you can throughout. Inside Winnebago’s all-electric RV prototype, you’ll find loads of recycled materials including the flooring, mats, window trim, and even the WinnSleep mattress system. The cab seats feature plant-based coverings, while all the acrylic countertops are made from biodegradable materials. Nice.
Winnebago appears to be off to a great a start here with the eRV2 but admits that it still needs to perform vigorous field testing to inform the electric RV’s final design. Let’s not forget that range either, gang.
Still, the veteran company recognizes that there is an exploding demand for all-electric travel, particularly in the large van, RV segment. Winnebago president Huw Bower spoke to the company’s progress and future goals:
Our primary goal in building the eRV2 was to help people comfortably explore the world around them with less environmental impact. The user experience was at the heart of this prototype’s development, through the early days of market research and even now as it goes through field testing. The eRV2 embodies our pioneering legacy, representing not only an achievement in design, innovation and sustainability, but also our commitment to continuously evolve with the changing needs of consumers and the world we share.
The eRV2 will be on display through the January 22 at the Winnebago booth (No. 760) at the Florida RV SuperShow. If you’re attending, we implore you to schedule a test drive and let us know what you think.
We’re hoping to get inside the electric RV soon and, who knows, perhaps we’ll be reporting from the production model at next year’s RV show. In the meantime, check out the full reveal video of Winnebagos’ all-electric eRV2.
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GE Vernova’s onshore wind business announced that it received orders in 2024 to repower over 1 gigawatt (GW) of wind turbines in the US.
Wind energy repowering is all about breathing new life into older turbines. By swapping out aging parts like turbines, blades, and nacelles for the latest tech, wind farms see significant boosts in efficiency, power capacity, and overall lifespan. Other infrastructure and control systems can also get a second life.
Adding new components to existing infrastructure and grid connections means it’s less expensive to extend the life of the wind farm with fewer resources. New components make the turbines less prone to breakdowns which means less maintenance, so there are fewer operational costs.
The repowering projects for which GE Vernova received orders will use nacelles and drive trains that it manufactures in its Pensacola, Florida, factory.
“As the United States works to meet the doubling of projected demand for more energy, repower projects like these help US workers in US factories take advantage of what we already have, where we already have it,” said Matt Lynch, general manager of Repower at GE Vernova.
The orders were booked between the first and fourth quarters of 2024. GE Vernova’s wind repower projects are expected to come online between 2024 and 2027.
GE Vernova’s onshore wind business has a total installed base of approximately 56,000 turbines and nearly 120 GW of installed capacity worldwide.
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Kia’s official first-party NACS adapters are now ready to ship out, but owners will have to wait to use them on Tesla Superchargers until later this quarter.
The rollout of Supercharger access to non-Tesla brands is hitting a fever pitch this year, with several brands added to the “coming soon” list, and even beyond that, VW and Honda have both made their own announcements that access is coming soon.
But for most vehicles, charging on Superchargers will require an adapter for the time being, as most brands aren’t adding native NACS ports to their vehicles until a future date (the current exceptions are the 2025 Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 which have native ports).
Each manufacturer is dealing with adapter rollouts separately, and Kia’s ready to announce that their adapters are ready to go.
Kia told us today that shipments of first-party adapters are currently en route to dealerships, and certain owners will be getting a notification soon to claim their adapter.
In Kia’s previous announcement about adapter availability, it said that any 2024 or 2025 EV6 or EV9 owners who took delivery after September 4 would get a free NACS adapter. Those owners should receive a push notification soon in their Kia Connect app through which they can claim their adapter.
For other owners, adapters will be available from Kia dealers for $249, which is roughly in line with the average cost we’ve been seeing for these adapters. Dealers should be getting the adapters any day now.
However, these adapters will be of limited usefulness for the next several weeks. You’ll be able to use them to charge at Tesla destination chargers, or any home charger with a Tesla/NACS plug on it, but Supercharger access still requires a handshake between the car and the charging network, and that handshake is currently disabled.
Originally, Kias were going to gain access on January 15th, but that was pushed back until the “back end of this quarter.” Some owners found out a loophole to allow for charging on the network, but that loophole was closed just yesterday.
As a result, Kia is also including “definitive instructions” on how to use the adapters along with each shipment. It wants to ensure that everyone is using them properly, especially given the recent back-and-forth about, uh, unsanctioned methods to access the network before official availability.
Kia’s EV6 with the native NACS port has also taken longer to arrive than Hyundai’s 2025 Ioniq 5. Ioniq 5s are already shipping (and can even charge faster than Teslas at a Supercharger, a feat the EV6 should also achieve), but EV6s haven’t yet hit dealerships. They should be on around the same timeline as Supercharger access, and ought to be available in the back half of this quarter.
So… Kia fans will still have to wait a little bit, but at least you’ll have the adapters ready to go for when the floodgates open later this quarter.
If you’re looking to buy one of the fastest-charging EVs on the road today, use our link to check local dealers and get in line for when they get the new 2025 Kia EV6s in stock.
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EV charger manufacturer Kempower and Ziegler Energy Solutions have paired up to deliver EV fast charging infrastructure for commercial fleets.
To put it simply, Finland and US-based Kempower brings DC fast chargers to the table, and Ziegler Energy Solutions’ (ZES’s) specialty is infrastructure, energy efficiency, and operational flexibility, along with sales and service.
“As businesses and municipalities increasingly transition to electric fleets, reliable and adaptable EV charging infrastructure with the highest uptime is paramount,” said Troy Monson, general manager of Ziegler Energy Solutions. “Partnering with Kempower enables us to deliver scalable, user-friendly solutions that support our customers’ electrification goals and operational needs.”
ZES, which is now a Kempower Certified Partner, helps fleet operators address challenges like high mileage, uptime demands, and energy cost management using its EV fleet planning tools that simulate real-world scenarios like duty cycles, charging schedules, and energy needs. It also has a leasing program, and integrates solar and battery storage into fast charging infrastructure.
This means Kempower can now offer its DC fast chargers to fleet operators with ZES’s support, ensuring uptime and reliability.
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