Electric vehicles are upgrading the camping experience as we know it
Imagine how peaceful camping would be without the loud gas-powered engines running. Electric vehicles are upgrading the camping experience as we know it. Not only are EVs silent, but they also offer unique advantages over gas-powered cars for camping.
EVs are going more off-grid
If you haven’t noticed already, more electric vehicles are going “off-grid” to explore the outdoors, go camping, etc.
In fact, campers are more likely to own an electric vehicle. According to a survey by Kampgrounds of America (via CNN), about 4% of regular campers own an EV, compared to just 1% of Americans.
EV startups like Rivian (RIVN), with its “Electric Adventure Vehicles,” are designing vehicles built for on- and off-road performance. Rivian’s vehicles are made with one mission in mind: “to protect our planet and the cultures that inhabit it for generations to come.”
Although Rivian EVs are “made for the plant,” they are also some of the most hardcore vehicles you will come across.
Rivian’s R1T electric truck offers up to 410 miles of range, an extendable truck bed (up to 83.9″), a gear tunnel and frunk for extra storage, and even an included “Rivian Torch” flashlight in the driver-side door.
The R1T can also plow through +3 feet of water, rock crawl a 100% grade, and tow up to 11,000 lbs.
Rivian’s R1S electric SUV offers just as much capability with up to 400 miles range, 14.9″ of ground clearance, and room for seven. It includes up to 104 cu ft storage space an 7,700 lbs towing.
EVs are upgrading camping as we know it
Rivian is not the only company designing EVs for camping and exploring. Ford, Hyundai, Tesla, Volkswagen, and others are building electric vehicles and features to upgrade the experience.
Electric vehicles already offer distinct advantages over ICE cars, like when towing. Matt Lin, who takes his Ford F-150 Lightning and a camping trailer out every few weeks, explained how the instant torque helps when towing.
“I’m not constantly sitting there watching transmission temps climb, I’m not watching motor temps climb on hills,” Linn said. He lives in “Hill County,” Texas.
Linn added he uses the “frunk almost as an outdoor kitchen because it takes a lot of electrical strain off of the camper.” He uses it to run his coffee maker, ice maker, etc.
Meanwhile, automakers are not the only ones working to improve the camping experience with EVs. Trailer companies are releasing unique new products and features to make EV camping even easier.
Mike Kowal, who pulls an airstream RV with his Rivian R1S, said the SUV learns how the trailer impacts range and adjusts estimates. He can tow about 200 miles with the trailer.
Travel trailer and RV companies joiAirstream, known
Know for its iconic “Silver Bullet” design, Airstream unveiled the Trade Wind in Sept. It’s the company’s most independent travel trailer so far, featuring its biggest battery bank and solar system.
Thor Industries, which owns Airstream, is focusing on aerodynamics to improve efficiency. Thor’s head of product development, McKay Featherstone, said, “As we specifically target electric vehicles, it just becomes doubly important.”
Airstream isn’t the only one. Rivals like Bowlus are going all-in on electric and solar tech for off-grid camping.
Bowlus, which launched the “world’s first all-electric RV,” revealed its new Rivet luxury travel trailer last month. As its most rugged RV yet, the Rivet features a “yacht-quality” battery and solar system for “indefinite time off-grid.”
The Rivet’s +25-ft floor plan includes a separate bedroom, a luxury bathroom with a hotel-style shower, a spacious living room, and a kitchen. Also included is a fridge/freezer, air conditioning, heat, two-burner induction cooktop, microwave, and more.
“We’ve had customers cross coasts, all the way up to Canada, all the way across Canada and back down, all with an electric vehicle,” Bowlus CEO Geneva Long explained.
One of the biggest obstacles right now is charging. Many campsites across the country have older infrastructure and need an upgrade.
KOA has dedicated EV chargers at about 5% of its campsites, which could reach around 50% in the next 5 to 10 years.
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On today’s exciting episode of Quick Charge, we don’t even mention “you know who,” focusing instead on EV news from Rivian, Lucid, Nissan, Ford, and what it takes to make a MAN in the heavy truck space. Check it out!
Sure, Nissan is pushing back production estimates on its yet-to-begin-production Nissan LEAF and Ford’s EV sales were down significantly in Q2, but there’s more to the story than the “Faux News” crowd would have you believe. Plus: some new electric success stories from Porsche and a disappointing (but still cool) dive into some new home backup battery tech.
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he 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% 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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Battery electric cars sold today in Europe produce 73% less life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than gas cars, even when factoring in production, according to new research from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). That’s a big improvement from 2021, when the gap was 59%.
Meanwhile, hybrids and plug-in hybrids haven’t made much progress. The study confirms what clean transportation advocates have been saying for years: If Europe wants to seriously slash emissions from its dirtiest mode of transport – ICE passenger cars, which pump out nearly 75% of the sector’s pollution – it needs to go all-in on battery EVs.
“Battery electric cars in Europe are getting cleaner faster than we expected and outperform all other technologies, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids,” said ICCT researcher Dr. Marta Negri. Credit the continent’s rapid shift to renewables and the higher energy efficiency of EVs.
The makeup of the EU’s power grid is changing fast. By 2025, renewables are expected to generate 56% of Europe’s electricity, up from 38% in 2020. And that’s just the beginning: the share could hit 86% by 2045. Since cars bought today could still be on the road two decades from now, the growing use of clean electricity will only boost EVs’ climate benefits over time.
Gas-powered cars, on the other hand, will stay mostly tied to fossil fuels as the cost and availability of biofuels and e-fuels are still uncertain.
Hybrids and plug-in hybrids only cut lifetime emissions by 20% and 30%, respectively, compared to gas cars. That’s partly because plug-in hybrids tend to run on gas more than expected. So while hybrids aren’t useless, they’re just not good enough if we’re serious about climate goals.
Countering EV myths with hard data
There’s been a lot of noise lately about whether EVs are really that green. The ICCT study takes aim at the bad data and misleading claims floating around, like ignoring how the grid gets cleaner over time or using unrealistic gas mileage figures.
It’s true that manufacturing EVs creates more emissions upfront – about 40% more than making a gas car, mostly due to the battery. But EVs make up for it quickly: that extra emissions load is usually wiped out after about 17,000 km (10,563 miles) of driving, which most drivers hit in a year or two.
“We’ve recently seen auto industry leaders misrepresenting the emissions math on hybrids,” said Dr. Georg Bieker, senior researcher at the ICCT. “But life-cycle analysis is not a choose-your-own-adventure exercise.”
ICCT’s new analysis includes emissions from vehicle and battery production and recycling, fuel and electricity production, and fuel consumption and maintenance. It even adjusts for how the electricity mix will change in the coming years – a key detail when measuring plug-in hybrid performance.
Read more: Volkswagen’s 47% BEV sales jump includes a 24% boost in the US
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% 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.
Your personalized solar 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.
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![Here's our closest look at the Kia EV2 caught testing in the Alps [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/Kia-EV2-closest-look.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The EV2 may be Kia’s smallest electric vehicle, but it has a big presence on the road. Kia promises it won’t feel so small when you’re inside, thanks to clever storage and flexible seating. After a prototype was spotted testing in the Alps, we are getting our closest look at the Kia EV2 so far.
Kia EV2 spotted in the Alps offers our closest look yet
Kia first unveiled the Concept EV2 during its 2025 EV Day event (see our recap of the event) in April, a preview of its upcoming entry-level electric SUV.
Despite its small size, Kia claims it will “redefine urban electric mobility” with new innovative features and more. Kia has yet to say exactly how big it will be, but given it will sit below the EV3, it’s expected to be around 4,000 mm (157″) in length. The EV3 is 4,300 mm (169.3″) in length.
Looking at it from the side, it sits much higher than you’d expect, similar to Kia’s larger EV9. During an exclusive event at Milan Design Week in April, Kia gave a sneak peek of the interior.
Kia said the interior is inspired by a “picnic in the city,” or in other words, a retreat from the busy city life. With a flat-floor design and flexible seating, you can quite literally have a picnic in the city.
Although we’ve seen the EV2 out in public testing a few times, a new video provides the closest look at Kia’s upcoming electric SUV.
The video, courtesy of CarSpyMedia, shows an EV2 prototype testing in the Alps with European license plates. There’s also a “Testfahrt” sticker on the back, which translates to “Test Car” in German.
As the prototype drives by, you can get a good look at it from all angles. Like in past sightings, the front features stacked vertical headlights with Kia’s signature Star Map lighting. Even the rear lights appear to be identical to those of the concept.
The interior will feature Kia’s next-gen ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) infotainment system. The setup includes dual 12.3″ instrument clusters and infotainment screens in a curved panoramic display. Depending on the model, it could also include an added 5.3″ climate control screen.
Last month, a crossover coupe-like model was spotted on a car carrier in Korea, hinting at a new variant. The new model featured a design similar to that of the Genesis GV60.
Kia’s CEO, Ho Sung Song, also recently told Autocar that a smaller, more affordable EV was in the works to sit below the EV2. Song said the new EV, priced under €25,000 ($30,000), was “one area we are studying and developing.”
With the EV4 and EV5 launching this year, followed by the EV2 in 2026, it could be closer toward the end of the decade before we see it hit the market. Next-gen EV6 and EV9 models are also due out around then.
The Kia EV2 is set to launch in Europe and other global regions in 2026. Unfortunately, it’s not expected to make the trip to the US.
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