LEVC has unveiled a few sketches of its upcoming e-Camper, a spry PHEV campervan. The leisure van aims to appease environmentally conscious adventures looking for greener mobility solutions in the campervan market—or those just looking for a way to get out and explore, which is perfectly acceptable too.
The Geely-owned London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) was born in 2017 but traces its history back to 1908 with the London black cab, a vehicle that was the backbone of taxi services for a hundred years. The company’s modern black cab taxi, the plug-in hybrid electric TX, was introduced in 2018 and is manufactured at a high-tech factory in Ansty, a village in the Rugby Borough of Warwickshire, England. Production of a VN5 medium-sized electric van sibling began in November 2020, the first non-taxi model for LEVC.
The easy-to-maneuver LEVC e-Camper is based on the VN5 but also incorporates some styling cues from the TX electric taxi. The plug-in hybrid van has an electric-only range of over 60 miles and a total range of 304 miles thanks to the company’s e-City range extender technology—which includes a Volvo-supplied 1.5-liter three-cylinder gas engine that supplies charge to the 31-kWh battery pack. The rear wheels, driven by a 147-hp Siemens e-motor, are never driven by the internal combustion engine. This setup helps reduce range anxiety while also allowing for stress-free, pure electric travel. Pure EV mode, Save mode, and Smart mode determine the load provided by the range extender and battery.
The most noticeable feature of the LEVC PHEV e-Camper is the pop-up roof, allowing for more interior room. The interior, designed around the flexible use of space, includes an integrated electric kitchenette, a central folding table, and a second-row bench seat that converts into a second double bed. It can sleep up to four.
Partnering with a UK-based campervan converter company named Wellhouse Leisure, the first deliveries of the LEVC e-Camper are scheduled for the last quarter of 2021.
