At the Caravan Salon 2021, Knaus Tabbert’s first fully electric motorhome will be displayed.
The Knaus E.Power Drive is the first fully electric motorhome manufactured by HWA AG, a world leader in motorsport and engineering and an international development partner, a report said.
It is a vehicle study based on the Knaus Van Ti 65 MEG Vansation. It still looks like a motorhome, but it is partially integrated. The cockpit shows the KNAUS study’s complex technology. You don’t need a gear lever as you can use the propulsion engine and the six-speed manual transmission. Knaus replaced it with “push button automateds”, which are similar to automatic transmission. They include P (Park), R(Reverse), N [Neutral], D (Drive).
Two buttons further on the panel control the vehicle heating, which heats the traction battery in low temperatures. The other two buttons turn off the recuperation when there are adverse driving conditions like ice and packed snow. The six buttons on the panel also display the status of the traction batteries, which have a 35 kWh capacity.
In the cockpit, you will also find an innovative HMI concept that consists of two large displays. The aim here was to develop the best possible solution for an optimum human-machine interface. You can manage your infotainment via the touch screen (12 inches) and also view additional information about the driving mode. The second display displays the current operating status of your motorhome, speed, and driving performance.
Hidden behind the bodywork was even more. An intelligent combination of an electric motor and a reduction gearbox replaces the diesel engine with transmission.
This fully-equipped, four-seater motorhome can travel over 110 km/h thanks to the e-motor. It has a maximum power output of 180 kW. However, the motor can also be used to recover in manual mode. This means that it can generate electric energy and store it in the high-voltage battery located near the rear axle of the motorhome. The front-wheel-driven “Knaus E. Power Drive” lithium-ion batteries can be charged at a public wall box charging station in about three hours. The Range Extender cuts down the time it takes to charge your battery. 35 minutes
In a WLTP testing procedure, the range of the Knaus E.Power Drive in purely electric operation was determined to be 90 kilometers. The Range Extender automatically starts when the battery reaches its threshold level. However, it is usually earlier.
While the REX is primarily responsible for charging the traction battery, it can also supply electricity to the drive motor. The REX supplies energy to the vehicle’s living area. The DC/AC converter (direct current/alternating current) is installed to provide the living space with normal household voltage and increase the self-sufficiency of the motorhome.
Knaus Research’s specification sheet stated that it hoped to be able to live independently in the caravan for five days under normal weather conditions (lighting, cooking, and heating).
The Range Extender’s essential component is the state-of-the-art rotary engine. It was installed during the survey and operates at the optimal rpm range to power a flange-mounted generator. This three-disk rotary piston motor from the KNAUS survey has many benefits. It is compact in dimensions and requires less assembly than a reciprocating engine. The engine can also be used at optimum revs with smooth, quiet operation. You can also choose to drive the generator with conventional combustion engines (petrol and diesel), which are efficient and emit low emissions.
Knaus Tabbert research’s long-term goal is to install fuel cells in the future. This will allow for cleaner energy production as it emits only water. The hydrogen required for the crash-proofing process is stored in a special pressure tank, instead of the traditional diesel tank.
The vehicle will also be “gas-free” in the future and only operate in electric mode. This can help to reduce weight. A variety of weight-saving methods will be used to optimize the vehicle’s weight. Knaus Tabbert Research and Development aims to create a basic motorhome of 3.5 tonnes, which can be used with up to four people and has a good load capacity.
In the future, it will be possible to drive into green areas with the Knaus E.Power Drive without any restrictions. Knaus installed a sound generator to make the motorhome’s driving sounds more audible so other road users can hear it. The vehicle can provide comfortable, self-sufficient living for a long time even without an external charger, the report mentioned.