Automakers release fully electric camper van that can charge itself — ushering in a new era of road trips

Two West Coast automotive startups — the Los Angeles-based Maxwell Vehicles and Colorado’s Rossmönster — are teaming up to create a battery electric camper van that can be charged via solar panels on its roof. Maxwell is handling the EV technology, while Rossmönster is designing the van’s interior.

The van, which has been named Vanacea, will be sold by Maxwell and has plenty of features that should appeal to environmentally minded outdoors lovers.

These features include a 1,560-watt charging capacity from the solar roof, which is able to harvest energy from the sun while parked or in motion, as well as a compact instantaneous hot water heater, 9,000 BTU heat pump, and kitchenette complete with induction cooktop. Maxwell says that it can charge fully in 30 minutes when connected to a DC fast charger.

The first iteration of Vanacea to be released will have a 150-mile range and a Combined Charging System hookup, but Maxwell says that an upgraded version is already in the works for 2024 or 2025 that includes a dual battery that allows for a 250-mile range, with an added North American Charging Standard port.