- The "world's first" extended-range Class A Motorhome is the result of a collaboration between Thor Industries and Harbinger Motors.
- It uses a 1.4-liter gas engine to turn a generator.
- The motorhome also has a 140-kWh battery pack that can be topped up from a DC or AC charger.
Thor Industries, one of the biggest manufacturers of recreational vehicles in the United States, and Harbinger Motors, a medium-duty hybrid chassis startup, worked together to come up with the world’s first Hybrid Class A Motorhome. That’s what the two companies claim, at least.
Set to go on sale next year, the unassuming RV packs the same tech inside as the upcoming Ram 1500 Ramcharger–a series hybrid setup that combines an electric motor, a battery pack and a combustion engine that has no mechanical connection to the drivetrain.
Better known as a range-extended EV or EREV, the system can get power either from the charge port or the generator that’s connected to the gas engine. In the case of Thor’s RV, we’re dealing with a 1.4-liter inline-four lump, four 35-kilowatt-hour individual battery packs that together can store 140 kWh of energy and a rear-mounted electric motor developed by Harbinger that makes 440 horsepower peak and 280 hp continuous.
Torque is rated at 1,140 pound-feet, which should be more than plenty for any situation–Thor says it’s roughly twice the torque of a diesel engine fitted in similar applications. The battery architecture is rated at 800 volts and the packs can be DC fast-charged in one hour.
Power can also be exported from the battery pack, transforming the RV into a generator that can power a whole house during outages.
The prototype, called simply the Thor Test Vehicle, has a total estimated range of 500 miles with both the battery and the fuel tank full. On battery power alone, the RV can drive for about 150 miles, while the gas range-extender adds another 350 miles to the mix.
Gallery: Thor Hybrid Class A Motorhome
According to Green Car Reports, Harbinger delivers the frame, suspension, propulsion system, safety and vehicle systems, and the outfitters have the task of fitting the body and remaining systems. The chassis has an estimated service of 20 years, the oil-cooled drive unit is designed to last 450,000 miles in commercial truck applications and there’s a fully independent double-wishbone suspension system at the front. A steer-by-wire system is also part of the package, just like on the Tesla Cybertruck.
Sticking an EREV powertrain under the shell of an RV makes a lot of sense. While there are all-electric campers out there, their limited driving range of roughly 200 miles on a full charge makes them a hard sell to people who like to go on long journeys. Adding a gas range extender means people can drive for longer distances and–if they can leave for a trip with a full battery by charging at home–benefit from lower fuel consumption. Then, at the campsite, everything inside the RV can run on the batteries without using a drop of fuel for days.
