Introducing The Grounded G1 — An Electric Camper Van That’s Actually Affordable?
Get The Grounded G1 Camper For A Single Payment Of $125,000 Or Take Advantage Of Their One-Year, $2,300 Per Month Subscription
Nowadays, electric vehicles obviously aren’t as rare a sight as they once were — with an estimated 3 million electric vehicles driving around on US roads today — however, when it comes to electric camper vans, the US market has definitely been starved.
Thankfully, the Grounded G1 camper is looking to change that… by being the first electric camper van to launch in the US market!
For an occasion as momentous as this, one would think that we would have an industry pioneer like Tesla behind the wheel. However, surprisingly enough, it is the relatively new startup “Grounded RVs” that we have to thank for this blessing.
Who Is The Team Behind The Grounded G1 Electric Camper Van?
As the company that is poised to introduce the first electric camper van to the US market, it is no surprise that there are a lot of eyes on Grounded RVs and the G1.
The all-star team behind the Detroit-based startup is made up of ex-Tesla and SpaceX professionals — many of whom are some of the most accomplished engineers, designers, architects, and administrators in the electric vehicle and tech industries.
The company currently operates out of the Ford & Newlab manufacturing coworking space in Detroit.
Has There Really Not Been Any Other Electric Camper Vans For Sale In The US Market Before Now?
Sadly, no but that is definitely going to change very soon and we will most likely see more than a few electric camper vans hitting the market in the coming years.
When it comes to electric camper vans, manufacturers have been playing it relatively safe for the past few years, even though the building blocks have been there — ready and waiting for someone to take the plunge.
The Ford E-Transit was the last big push that manufacturers — like Grounded RVs — needed to make their dreams of having a fully realized electric camper a reality.
The E-Transit is Ford’s all-electric van, which Grounded RVs uses as the base for their Grounded G1 camper.
One manufacturer that almost beat Grounded RVs to the punch is Winnebago, a longstanding name in the RV industry.
However, their electric camper vans, the e-RV and the eRV2 (which are also built on the Ford Transit base), still haven’t left the concept and prototype phases. As a result of this, they seem to be nowhere close to debuting in the US market anytime soon.
The Good, The Bad, And The Outstanding — Everything That We Know So Far About The Grounded G1
Simply being the first electric camper van to launch in the US market is a noteworthy accomplishment in its own right; however, the Grounded G1 has a lot more to offer than that.
The main selling point of the Grounded G1 that the company is trying to push is its “revolutionary modular interior furniture system”. Promotional buzzwords aside, this feature is actually a game-changer because it gives each owner the ability to customize their camper to suit their specific needs.
The modular nature of the build allows you to plan out your camper piece by piece, deciding on which features you want. You have the option to choose a dining area, extra seating, a bed (queen or single-sized), kitchen, bathroom, storage space, a dedicated workspace, and so much more.
In particular, the kitchen features an electric fridge/freezer, an induction cooktop, and a convection oven, all of which are powered by a built-in 640-W solar system. Since Grounded RVs has developed its very own modular system, this has allowed its team to foster a high level of customization without the high costs and long wait times that other companies require.
“We’ve designed a new assembly system that allows us to manufacture customized designs at scale, and our library of components enables a near-infinite amount of layouts.”
– CEO and founder Sam Shapiro.
However, there are some unavoidable speed bumps in the Grounded G1’s future. Since it uses the Ford E-Transit as a base, it was always going to be limited to that range and power. More specifically, the high-roof version of the Ford E-Transit that the Grounded G1 is built upon only has a range of 108 miles per charge.
The company is well aware of the difficulties that this limit could potentially present for its customers and rumor has it that their next version, the Grounded G2 will have a range of up to 250 miles — likely using the new Mercedes eSprinter as a base.
You Can Secure Your Grounded G1 Electric Camper Today
Reservations are now open for the Grounded G1 (with a fully refundable $100 deposit). The early adopters among us can either choose to pick it up with a single payment of $125,000 or a one-year, $2,300 per month subscription.
On the other hand, buyers that are looking for an electric camper van with more mileage may want to stick to RV rentals while they hold out a bit longer for the Grounded G2, which promises to be an comprehensive upgrade to the G1.
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