Coast begins deliveries of its Model 1 solar electric trailer and its quality is undeniable
Coast, the future-focused sub-brand of trailer manufacturer Aero Build, has begun deliveries of the Model 1 – a solar electric travel trailer that Founder and CEO Brian Fuente put his heart and soul into to not only modernize a stale recreation segment but do so in a manner that is optimized and affordable without any compromise on quality. Fuente walked us through the Coast Model 1 and shared his insight on the trailer, the company’s design approach, and its future in electric campers.
Aero Build is a young trailer manufacturer that has been developing and crafting a variety of ground-up business-centric vessels in Nashville, Tennessee, for the last eight years. Pride in the work and commitment to the utmost quality in every build has helped the young company find early success, providing the financial runway to explore new ventures like electric travel trailers for recreational use.
The result is Coast – a passenger-focused sub-brand that not only looks to modernize the travel trailer industry further but also gives owners the freedom of travel and exploration, complimented by comfort, space utilization, and some of the best technology available today.
Those ideas culminated in Coast’s first trailer – the Model 1. Initially unveiled in early 2023, the Model 1 has since become open for pre-orders and begun production in Nashville. This past weekend, the first customer builds of the solar electric travel trailer were delivered to customers, kicking off a new chapter for Coast, which it hopes will help propel it from a niche bespoke builder to a renowned name in recreational vehicles.
Before deliveries began, Electrek got the chance to do a virtual walkthrough in the Model 1 with Coast Founder and CEO Brian Fuente, who offered some excellent insight on what sets these trailers apart.
Coast’s Model 1 trailer is a winner at first glance
Earlier this month, I hopped on a video call with Coast CEO Brian Fuente, who walked me through a near-production version of the Model 1. This slightly dated model has seen several improvements before the first travel trailers went out to customers.
My first impression of Fuente was that he knows his stuff. Not only from the perspective of recreational trailers, e.g., comfort, space utilization, etc., but from a tech standpoint, ensuring Coast’s first entry into the segment delivers quality materials and design as well as all the electronic components required to live comfortably off the grid for days or even weeks at a time.
The quality and sustainability of the materials chosen are apparent. Albeit a compact travel trailer, it’s clear that every square inch was optimized, and the Coast team reworked the layout repeatedly until it was perfect in their minds. I complimented Fuente on this achievement, and he shared some valuable insight:
We’ve been a trailer manufacturer for what, seven years now? So I think what sets us apart is we have a commercial division where we’ve built hundreds and hundreds of trailers and sent them all over the world, so we know a thing or two about trailer manufacturing. With all that knowledge we’ve been able to soak all that into this unit.
So, we can proudly say that this is one of the best built trailers you’ll ever find. It’s the price point too. We don’t have the drivetrain system… yet, we’re working on that, but from a quality standpoint, this thing is just built to last.
Fuente then pointed out that the Model 1 trailer we were viewing looked brand new (I’d agree), but it had already had several people staying in it and had traveled all over the country. More evidence of the quality of the fit and finishes chosen to ensure this trailer can handle a lifetime of travel exploring the world.
It was interesting that Fuente brought up the electric powertrain before I could even ask (I was going to, don’t worry), considering Coast’s main competitors in the space, who are already providing additional electrification to maximize towing efficiency.
I asked the CEO how he feels about the company’s trailer competitors like Pebble and Lightship, for instance, and how he thinks Coast compares:
Well, I think from a design perspective, I think it’s more palatable. It’s kind of a blend that feels like a smart home on wheels, like a home. I think from an interior design perspective, it’s just comfortable. I think this is a very comfortable unit with a lot of space and room to move around in this unit too. We are not those companies. We don’t have the big VC money. We’re the bootstrap operation and we have been trailer manufacturing for a long time.
I think that’s what sets us apart too because we’re in production and we have an incredibly talent team. This is a comfort focused electric vehicle that’s built to last a long time and I think there’s a buyer for everyone and I’m just so excited to see innovation in the space.
When we first started designing this (Model 1), the reason I was so motivated to do it was because I was just so tired of seeing junk, and I experienced the manufacturing plants in Indiana and said, ‘Guys, we gotta do better.’ From a culture standpoint, our company has really built a lifestyle brand and people have really bought into it because we provide a really great customer experience.
Bootstraps, for sure. Fuente told me he goes out to customers and shows them firsthand how to use the Coast electric trailers and even gives his personal cell number in case they have any questions or issues, saying, “That’s just who we are. We build one hell of a trailer, and we rarely have a warranty issue, and when we do, it’s usually minor. When we do, we usually take care of it within 24-48 hours.”
As sales of Coast’s electric travel trailers grow, it will be impossible for its CEO to stay on speed dial for everyone, but right now, that customer service method exemplifies how vital the buyer is to this operation. From there, Fuente spoke about Coast’s potential and the future.
All our trailers are hand-built, so we’re just focused on quality right now. Yes, we have people knocking on our door to invest, but we want to protect what we have and we want to be close to our customers. We’ve got some new partnerships that I can’t tell you about yet, but we’ve got some really big news coming soon.
Fuente told me a second trailer model is already in the works. As confirmed above, Coast is also working to add an electric drivetrain option to help drivers maximize range and efficiency while towing.
I highly recommend booking a live tour and exploring the Coast 1 trailer yourself to truly understand its design and opportunity for those who want to travel while still living comfortably with the freedom to work. Each trailer comes with Starlink’s highest level of WiFi – expensive for Coast to install, but worth every penny according to Fuente to ensure its customers get the best.
The exterior roof features eight monocrystalline solar panels that deliver 1,600 total watts of green energy to owners when out on the road or wherever their journeys take them.
The Coast Model 1 trailer is available to order now and starts at $129,900. I plan to visit Coast in Nashville soon, spend the night in a Model 1, and see if the real-life experience in the trailer matches the quality I saw from my virtual tour. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
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Tesla has released a new navigation feature to make it easier for people towing trailers to find charging stations that can accommodate them.
Towing trailers with electric vehicles is not yet super popular, but it is rapidly gaining in popularity, with more electric SUVs and pickup trucks having increasingly impressive towing capacity.
Tesla has had the Model Y and Model X with a limited but still useful towing capacity for a few years, but with now the Cybertruck and the opening of its Supercharger network to other EVs, including many pickup trucks, the automaker is starting to see more people arriving at its popular charging stations with trailers.
This can be problematic as if you don’t want to block several chargers, you are going to have to unhook your trailer to go charge your vehicle. That’s less than ideal and something gas-powered vehicles rarely have to do at gas stations.
Tesla’s solution has been to build a few “pull in” charging spots at some Supercharger stations that enable you to park with your trailer while charging (via Tesla Motors club):
Tesla is currently building more of these stations, but they are still far and few in between and hard to find.
The automaker is now making it easier to find with a new software update. Now, you can click on a Supercharger station, and it will tell you if it has trailer stalls.
Furthermore, if you are driving on “trailer mode” and searching for charging stations, those with “trailer friendly” stalls will appear at the top:
However, as usual, when traveling long distances in an electric vehicle, you are better off just doing a bit of planning about where to charge ahead of time, especially if you are going to be towing over long distances.
Now that Tesla can distinguish between trailer-friendly and non-trailer-friendly stations, the automaker can hopefully include it in its API for other automakers to integrate into their own navigation systems as many of them can start using the Supercharger network.
Part of Tesla’s Supercharger network is powered by solar, but the best way to power your electric car with solar is at home. If you want to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar – whether you’re a homeowner or renter. They have hundreds of vetted solar installers competing for your business (including Tesla and Powerwall certified installers in some markets), ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Corporate America is investing in clean energy at record levels, with tech giants taking the top spots for users of solar.
Meta, Google, and Amazon are leading the charge in solar and battery storage adoption, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA’s) latest “Solar Means Business” report.
Meta continues to hold the title of the top solar user in corporate America, with nearly 5.2 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity installed. Meanwhile, Google leads the way in energy storage, boasting 936 megawatt-hours (MWh) of installed battery capacity. Through the first quarter of 2024, these companies have added the most solar capacity to their electricity portfolios, with major players like General Motors, Toyota, and US Steel also climbing the ranks.
The report reveals that US businesses have installed nearly 40 GW of solar capacity both onsite and offsite through Q1 2024, and corporate storage use now exceeds 1.8 gigawatt-hours (GWh). Even more growth is coming: Companies have over 3 GWh of battery storage under contract that will come online in the next five years.
“Some of the largest industrial and data operations in the world continue turning to solar and storage as a reliable, low-cost way to power their operations,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper.
Technology companies are at the forefront of this shift as data center growth drives skyrocketing electricity demand. Amazon, for example, leads the US with 13.6 GW of solar procurements under contract, while Meta and Google each have nearly 6 GW under contract – pipelines over 10 times larger than the next company in the rankings.
Target remains the US’s leading onsite corporate solar user for the ninth year in a row, with Prologis, Walmart, Amazon, and Blackstone also making the top five. For the first time, the “Solar Means Business” report is also tracking corporate battery energy storage, with Google, Apple, Meta, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, and Kohl’s among the top 10 companies using storage to meet more of their energy needs in real-time.
Looking ahead, both offsite and onsite energy storage are expected to play a bigger role in corporate renewable energy strategies. Medical companies like Kaiser Permanente are already using batteries to power microgrids, making their facilities more resilient to outages.
Carolyn Campbell, Meta’s head of clean and renewable energy, East, highlighted the importance of expanding solar capacity to match the company’s global operations with 100% clean energy: “We’re thrilled to rank number one for corporate solar procurement in SEIA’s report this year, and we continue to find ways to grow the grid to benefit everyone.”
Target’s vice president of property management, Erin Tyler, said of Target’s 20-year-old solar program, “Through our commitment to solar, we’re well on our way to achieving our corporate goal of sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.”
The “Solar Means Business” report also looks at the policies driving corporate America’s adoption of solar. Many companies are taking advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act’s long-term clean energy incentives. To further accelerate their renewable energy investments, businesses are calling for improvements in interconnection processes, new community solar legislation, and simpler tax credit monetization.
Read more: A 100-MW solar farm just broke ground in Wisconsin
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Volkswagen Group Africa has officially begun production of a modern electric farm tractor at its multifunctional facility in Gashora, Rwanda in a bid to advance modern, low-emission agricultural initiatives in Africa.
Part of a larger Rwandan initiative called the GenFarm Project, the new VW tractor is part of a “holistic ecosystem” of electrified farming machinery set to be used throughout rural Africa – where liquid fossil fuels are often just as difficult to come by as electricity. The goal is to provide machinery that’s both sustainable and reliable.
“We are growing our footprint in Africa and regard Rwanda as a key growth market. This project demonstrates our commitment to sustainable practices and highlights our ability to provide mobility solutions to the rural community in addition to the urban community currently serviced by our Volkswagen Mobility Solutions Rwanda business,” explains Martina Biene, Volkswagen Group Africa Chairperson and Managing Director. “The GenFarm Project fosters technological innovation and aligns with Volkswagen Group’s strategy to generate meaningful value for both society and the environment through sustainable mobility.”
The GenFarm project will eventually provide mobility services for transportation of goods and people. In June 2023, Volkswagen Group Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Rwanda to provide land for the establishment of the GenFarm Project.
The Volkswagen tractors’ electric motor produces 20 kW (about 27 hp), making it about the same size as the Solectrac product (which hasn’t worked out well in the US, it must be said). That motor gets its electrons from a 32 kWh swappable battery. Batteries are swapped/charged at the Empowerment Hub to minimize downtime. DC fast charging isn’t available, but the relatively small, swappable batteries (hopefully) mean that’s not much of a problem.
The GenFarm project hopes the new VW electric tractor will help clean up Rwanda’s agricultural sector, which currently accounts for some 25% of the national Gross Domestic Product.
Electrek’s Take
We’ve talked a lot about the lack of new farmers in America, but the problem is global – especially as western companies, and western ideas about consumerism, continue to spread. Products like this electric tractor from VW will make farming cleaner, quieter, and (hopefully) more attractive to young workers.
SOURCE | IMAGES: VW Group Africa.
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