Connect with us

Published

on

Electric RV specialist Lightship is officially entering the recreation vehicle segment with a renamed version of its all-electric travel trailer, formerly known as the L1. Today, the company unveiled the Lightship AE.1—the production-ready version of its predecessor. It is now on sale as a limited “Cosmo Edition,” of which only a limited supply will be built and sold.

As we’ve detailed in the past, Lightship is a startup rooted in San Francisco with operations in Broomfield, Colorado. It was founded in 2020 by Ben Parker and Toby Kraus—two industry veterans with impressive resumes that include notable contributions at Tesla.

The young company first caught our attention when it quietly launched in the summer of 2022 before officially stepping out of the shadows a year later. During that time, Lightship declared itself the first all-electric RV company, designing unique battery-powered trailers for the all-electric age while striving to bring fresh and, more importantly, sustainable options to a stale trailer and RV segment.

Lightship’s progress began on the wheels of its flagship electric travel trailer, the L1, whose telescoping aerodynamic design caught the attention of many electric mobility enthusiasts. Last December, we spoke to the startup’s founders, who walked us through the design process of this one-of-a-kind, aerodynamic electric trailer.

By January of 2024, capitalists had also caught wind of the design feats Lightship had accomplished with the L1 and opened their checkbooks to commit $34 million in Series B funding to help the startup accelerate electric trailer production.

Eleven months later, Lightship has a production-ready version of the L1 it has now renamed, and today begins accepting initial orders as it gears up to start mass producing them.

  • Electric trailer
  • Electric trailer
  • Electric trailer

Lightship’s electric trailer renamed “AE.1” ahead of sales

Today, Lightship officially unveiled the final design of its flagship electric travel trailer, which is now called the AE.1. The vehicle launch begins with a special Cosmos Edition which will see a limited production run of 50 units, all developed and assembled at the company’s facilities in Colorado. Lightship co-founder and chief product officer Ben Parker elaborated:

With the limited-edition Lightship AE.1 Cosmos, we’re delivering a dream travel experience for
sustainable travelers, tech lovers and EV enthusiasts. Our mission is to bring RVs into the electric age with the AE.1. The Cosmos Edition is the first premium realization, and we have other trims to fit travelers’ needs
coming quickly down the road.

The AE.1, built by “America’s first all-electric recreational manufacturer” features the same modular, telescoping, aerodynamic design showcased in the L1 as well as a “TrekDrive” power system that uses an electric motor to deliver near-zero range loss for EV drivers and less miles-per-gallon drain for gas vehicles towing it

The premium-level Cosmos Edition of the AE.1 features a plush interior focused on sustainability, function, and space. Its roof features an integrated, full-solar design that enables an all-electric camping experience without the annoying noise of a gas generator or the hazards of having combustible propane tanks onboard.

The AE.1 offers room to sleep four and comes complete with an automotive-grade HVAC system, a fully outfitted bathroom, and a Galley Kitchen with all the luxuries of comfortable off-grid living, including a dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, convection oven, and induction cooktop.

The 50 planned builds of the AE.1 Cosmo Edition electric travel trailer will be available in two unique colorways and are expected to begin production in the summer of 2025. Each Cosmo Edition costs $250,000 and will be sold to early reservation holders first before being made available to other interested parties.

Following deliveries of the Cosmo Edition, Lightship shared plans for three additional trims of its electric travel trailer. They are called Atmos, Panos, and Terros and will “serve travelers’ needs with distinct feature sets and price points.” The company said it will continue to accept refundable reservations for the three future trim levels, but its immediate focus is on getting the premium version of the electric travel trailer out to those interested customers.

You can learn more here and place a reservation if you’d like.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Democratic senators blame White House, AI data centers for rising electricity prices

Published

on

By

Democratic senators blame White House, AI data centers for rising electricity prices

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) speaks to reporters outside the Senate Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on Oct. 1, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Andrew Harnik | Getty Images

Democratic senators on Monday blamed the White House push to fast track artificial intelligence data centers and its attacks on renewable energy for rising electricity prices in certain parts of the U.S.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and others demanded that the White House and Commerce Department detail what actions they have taken to shield consumers from the impact of massive data centers in a letter sent Monday.

Voters are increasingly feeling the pinch of rising electricity prices. Democrats Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger campaigned on the issue in the New Jersey and Virgina governors’ races, which they won in landslides last week.

The senators took aim at the White House’s relationship with companies like Meta, Alphabet, Oracle, and OpenAI, and the support the administration has shown for the companies’ data center plans.

The Trump administration “has already failed to prevent those new data centers from driving up electricity prices from a surge of new commercial demand,” the senators wrote. They accused the White House of making the problem worse by opposing the expansion of solar and wind power.

The White House blamed the Biden administration and its renewable energy policies for driving up electricity prices in a statement.

President Donald Trump “declared an energy emergency to reverse four years of Biden’s disastrous policies, accelerate large-scale grid infrastructure projects, and expedite the expansion of coal, natural gas, and nuclear power generation,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said.

The tech sector’s AI plans have ballooned in size. OpenAI and Nvidia, for example, struck a deal in September to build 10 gigawatts of data centers to train and run AI applications. This is equivalent to New York City’s peak baseline summer demand in 2024.

The scale of these plans have raised questions about whether enough power is available to meet the demand and who will pay for the new generation that is needed. Renewable energy, particularly solar and energy storage, is the power source that can be deployed the quickest right now to meet demand.

Retail electricity prices in the U.S. increased about 6% on average through August 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration. Prices, however, can vary widely by region.

Download the full letter here. 

Continue Reading

Environment

Europe’s largest battery storage project is being built in Germany

Published

on

By

Europe's largest battery storage project is being built in Germany

Germany is about to become home to Europe’s largest battery storage system – a massive 1 gigawatt (GW) / 4 gigawatt-hour (GWh) project in Jänschwalde, Brandenburg.

LEAG Clean Power GmbH and Fluence Energy GmbH, a subsidiary of US-based Fluence Energy (NASDAQ: FLNC), are teaming up to build the “GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000.” The four-hour system will use Fluence’s Smartstack technology, its latest large-scale energy storage solution.

Once complete, Europe’s largest battery storage project will play a key role in stabilizing Germany’s grid and storing renewable power for when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. It’s designed to deliver essential grid services, support energy trading, and boost energy security as the country phases out fossil fuels.

LEAG’s broader “GigawattFactory” plan combines solar and wind farms with flexible power plants and large-scale batteries across Germany’s Lusatian energy region. “By constructing gigascale storage facilities, we’re addressing one of the biggest challenges of the energy transition: ensuring constant power regardless of the availability of renewable energies,” said Adi Roesch, CEO of the LEAG Group.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Fluence CEO Julian Nebreda described the project as a “milestone for the energy future of Germany and Europe,” adding that it demonstrates how collaboration and cutting-edge technology can “transform the foundation of our economy and our everyday lives.”

The German government recently reaffirmed the importance of storage in building a secure and affordable clean power system. With this 4 GWh giant, LEAG and Fluence are implementing that priority in one of Europe’s most coal-heavy regions.

Read more: Battery boom: 5.6 GW of US energy storage added in Q2


If you’re looking to replace your old HVAC equipment, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable HVAC installer near you that offers competitive pricing on heat pumps, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to get a heat pump. They have pre-vetted heat pump installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions. Plus, it’s free to use!

Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

The Genesis GV90 is shaping up to be a real stunner [Video]

Published

on

By

The Genesis GV90 is shaping up to be a real stunner [Video]

The GV90 will be the brand’s largest, most luxurious SUV yet. With its official debut coming up, a production version of the Genesis GV90 was spotted in public for the first time, offering a closer look at the stunning SUV.

The Genesis GV90 is a stunning flagship SUV

Genesis vehicles already have a unique design that’s hard to miss. The big Creste Grille, Two-Line Quad Lamps, and smooth character lines offer a refined, luxurious look, but Genesis is planning to take it to the next level with the GV90.

The GV90 is an “ultra-luxe, state-of-the-art SUV,” according to Genesis. It will be the luxury brand’s new flagship vehicle and first full-size electric SUV.

We got our first look at the flagship SUV last March after Genesis unveiled the Neolun concept at the New York Auto Show.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The GV90 has been spotted out in public several times now, even flashing high-end features like coach doors and adaptive air suspension, but now, we are finally getting our first look at the production version in real life.

Genesis-GV90-stunner
Genesis Neolun ultra-luxury electric SUV concept (Source: Genesis)

A new video from HealerTV shows the production version of the Genesis GV90 in action. Although it’s still covered in camo, you can see a few slight design changes from the concept shown last year.

The headlights and grille appear closer in design to its current vehicles, but other than that, the GV90 looks essentially the same up front as the Neolun concept.

Since it’s still covered, it’s hard to see where the headlights are connected at this point. From the side and rear, the GV90 looks identical to the concept.

Genesis has yet to announce an official launch date, but the GV90 could debut by the end of the year with sales expected to kick off in mid-2026.

Genesis-GV90-coach-doors
Genesis Neolum electric SUV concept interior (Source: Hyundai Motor)

The flagship SUV is rumoured to be the first vehicle to debut on Hyundai’s new eM platform, which it claims will “provide 50% improvement in driving range” compared to its current EVs. It will also serve as a tech beacon, featuring Hyundai’s most advanced connectivity and safety tech.

We will learn official prices and final specs soon, but one thing is for sure: it won’t be cheap. The Genesis GV90 is expected to start at around $100,000, but higher trims could cost significantly more with added features and options.

Genesis is also introducing its first hybrid, the GV80, next year, followed by its first extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) based on the GV70. The EREV is expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027. There’s also an off-road SUV in the works, which will likely arrive as a 2027 model.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending