As the auto industry and the Powers That Be continue to push for electric, more sustainable cars, it does feel at times as if the RV industry is slacking behind. Not UK-based Swift, though, which has been preparing for EV towing, as proven with the recent unveiling of the all-electric Basecamp Evo.
The 2024 Swift Basecamp Evo is not a production model for the time being, going up on display at the 2023 edition of the NEC Show as a functional concept. Its main goal is to register feedback, which, in turn, will inform further progress on it.
Put differently, the Evo is Swift's way of seeing if people really are interested in an electric caravan and, if they are, to bring it into production.
Based on the flagship Basecamp 2 model that offers sleeping for two and all the creature comforts of a small caravan designed for short vacations, the Evo retains the layout and the main features of its predecessor. The novelty is that it runs exclusively on electricity, ideally from the roof-mounted solar cells, from the kitchen appliances to the Dometic AC unit and the heating system.
Photo: YouTube/NotAnotherWhiteBox
As Tom Buckley, Sustainability Manager for Swift Group, explained at the event (see the video below), the Evo offers weekend-long autonomy at camp during the summer but can be run with power from the grid during the winter. He's talking about potential Evo owners using it in Swift's home country, the UK, where "sunny" isn't the first descriptor that comes to mind when you talk about the weather.
Like its predecessor, the Evo is a 5.1-meter (16.7-foot) single-axle lightweight trailer with an aerodynamic form that brings to mind much smaller teardrop trailers. Unladen weight is around 1,000 kg (2,205 kg), so it's slightly heavier than the model it's based on: Basecamp 2 is 940 kg/2,072 lbs unladen. That said, considering some 100 kg (221 lbs) of that weight is in the batteries alone, we're looking at a real achievement.
Buckley explains that serious weight exercises were performed to offset the weight of the batteries, including stripping the plywood from the floors and the GRP skins. If you take into account the two 6kW batteries in the front storage compartment, the Evo is particularly light.
Photo: Instagram/NotAnotherWhiteBox
There's 920 W worth of solar on the roof and the rear of the trailer and a 3kW inverter, in addition to the two battery packs. What sets this caravan apart from gas-run counterparts isn't just the solar system, as impressive as it might be.
The Evo is made with recycled materials wherever possible, including recycled plastic bottles. Where using recycled materials wasn't possible, Swift opted for natural stuff, like the bamboo mirror and the new linoleum flooring.
Even the cushions on the two benches in the dinette, which convert into a two-person bed at night, are made from recycled plastic. If you're more of a figures type of gay or girl, Buckley has them: 1,750 plastic bottles were used on the shell of the Evo alone (we reckon particularly in the new blue moldings), and 42% of the filling in the cushions is recycled plastic bottles.
Photo: PracticalCaravan
The layout includes the dinette slash bedroom, with overhead storage in the form of zippered removable bags. The idea is that you don't have to go through the time-consuming cycle of packing at home and unpacking in the trailer, and then back again: you pack once, using these removable bags, which you then secure to the storage bins. As always in life, it's the little things that can make a difference.
Next to this area is a small galley with all-electric appliances, including a Ninja airfryer and a microwave oven, and a small sink. On the opposite side is a sizable wardrobe and a small wet bathroom where even the shower curtain is recycled.
But the most impressive part about the bathroom is the so-called rain-to-flush system, which integrates a rainwater collecting system and a 10-liter (2.6-gallon) tank that feeds the water tank of the toilet. So, when you flush, you're not using up your cooking or potable water, but rainwater – which is definitely not lacking in the UK, no matter the time of the year.
Photo: Instagram/NotAnotherWhiteBox
Buckley stresses that the Evo concept was designed with the small, quirky electric vehicle in mind as a way to update the traditional caravan to the demands of a more environmentally friendly customer base. However, the start of production is largely dependent on customer feedback.
As such, the Evo concept doesn't come with a price tag. Buckley says they're still ironing out this detail but hints that it might be a bit more expensive than the gas-run Basecamp 2. For reference, that one starts at £23,995, so approximately $29,800 at the current exchange rate.
The Basecamp Evo was kept as a surprise even as it was rolled into NEC earlier this month, so we expect Swift to release more specifics soon. Keep an eye on this space if this teaser got you interested.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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