All-Electric G1 RV Takes Ford's E-Transit to the Next Level With a Custom Interior

That's right, folks, Grounded RV has just unveiled one of the projects they've been working on, and might I say, it's a solid step in the right direction. Now, much about Grounded, we don't know. All we're told is that it was started by ex-Tesla engineer Sam Shapiro, and currently, the crew is operating out of Newlab with Ford overseeing the magic. Let's see what we can expect to get our hands on in the coming months.

Overall, the G1 is built upon a Ford E-Transit, and we'll get to what that means shortly. For now, my point of interest is Grounded. If you ever make it to this crew's website, you'll notice that there's a very hard push toward the sort of living space you can create. I say 'create' because Grounded allows you to customize the interior to your liking. But not in the traditional sense.

This crew's approach to creating your dream RV is done by exploring a catalog of components. Once you've chosen the pieces you want and need in your G1 and everything is settled, the magic will begin. To help clear up some of what I mean, I want you to imagine that everything is constructed as separate kits which you can add to your layout. Simply put, you're given a blank canvas upon which to express your electric vision.

Because of this, you can place a bed at the front of your home, at the back, in the middle, or take it out entirely and create an on-road lounge. One image even shows this bugger with a bike rack mounted to it. That's the one that's right up my alley. The same is true for other systems like the galley block, storage space, and seating options. Regarding a shower setup, an outdoor option is in place, and a dry-flush toilet is along for the ride.

Now, the idea behind the G1 is an entirely electric experience, and so, Grounded ensures there's not one drop of fuel running any of the appliances. Instead, everything will be sucking power from batteries. The best part is that G1s are armed to the teeth with 640 W of solar panel power mounted onto the roof. If it's a cloudy day, shore power it is, or just grab an electric generator as backup. These days, countless options exist.

Continuing with the electric magic that the G1 displays, we need to look at all the little systems, wires, and controllers that allow you to wait for it... modify the state of your appliances remotely. This means that you can be out exploring the world, and before you even make it home, you've set the temperature, turned on the induction top to boil the rice you set on the stove, and whatever else you feel like doing. You can also track energy consumption via an app created specifically for the G1.

As I mentioned, the base machine for the G1 is a Ford E-Transit, and that means a few things. It means RWD, 266 hp, and 317 ft-lb (430 Nm) of torque, but it's not clear if the rest of the goodies Ford typically includes in an E-Transit are in place. Oh, and another thing, Grounded mentions that their unit comes with a range of up to 125 mi (201 km), but Ford's website shows a "Projected Range" of 108 mi (174 km) for the high roof version. More will be revealed in time.

So far, that's all that we know. However, I've left a very important question unanswered: how much will we be paying for something like this? Well, here's the thing. At this stage, you can drop $100 (€92 at current exchange rates) as a refundable deposit. And at some point in time, you'll have to throw in another $124,900 (€115,800) for a full $125K.

According to Ford's website, the baseline E-Transit starts at around $49,500 (€45,900). Sure, this isn't the high-roof version, so let's say it ends up being around $60K. $125K minus $60K gives us an interior design, electronics, and construction priced at around $65,000. Yes, it does sound a tad steep, but is it? And then, we need to factor in all the little variations of interiors that can be had. After all, if I'm taking the bed out and just include open space, I'm sure to be paying less. Right, right?! Personally, I really hope so.

The only problem I can see in Grounded's plans for electric RV domination is that price tag. Other than that, the all-electric mobile living market is at its start, and there's plenty of room for crews that have something good going. Expect to see more and more EVs carrying cribs on their back very soon.