Carrying a trailer or caravan on a journey means greater consumption for the towing vehicle, whether it is fuel- or electrically-powered, due to the greater weight and aerodynamic drag it entails. In the case of a driver of a 100% electric car transporting a caravan, he or she will have to reckon with a significant reduction in range. And the larger the trailer, the more consumption there will be. It’s physics at work. Nothing to be done, except if… This is what Ben Parker and Toby Kraus, two former Tesla employees, thought. They rolled up their sleeves to create Lightship in 2020, a company designed to manufacture caravans suitable for electric mobility.
And how do Lightship’s caravans contradict this evidence of physics? The answer is an “egg of Columbus”.
Lightship has developed the L1 prototype, which does not increase consumption as it has its own battery and electric motors, as well as a more aerodynamic design than usual to favor performance.
The electric caravan is now in production under the name AE.1 Cosmos Edition. AE stands for Aero-Electric
The caravan with which the company is starting the business will begin to be manufactured in the summer of 2025 and will be equipped with a 77 kWh LFP battery which, according to those responsible for the project, in some situations may even allow some towing vehicles to increase their autonomy. This is despite its heavy weight (3,379 kg). The company compared the efficiency of its L1 caravan when towed by the electric Rivian R1S and Rivian R1T pickups and the Ford F-150 gasoline pickup.
| Combination | Rivian R1T Electric Truck | Rivian R1S Electric SUV | Ford F150 Gas Truck |
| Unladen / No Trailer | 2.17 mi/kWh | 1.97 mi/kWh | 23.2 mpg |
| “Bullet shaped” Trailer | 0.93 mi/kWh | 0.96 mi/kWh | 10.2 mpg |
| L1 Essential | 1.26 mi/kWh | 1.33 mi/kWh | 14.4 mpg |
| L1 vs. “Bullet Shaped” | +0.33 mi/kWh (+35%) | +0.37 mi/kWh (+28%) | +4.2 mpg (+29%) |
The roof is lined with 1.8 kW photovoltaic panels that help power the kitchen appliances and interior lighting. The caravan has a road mode configuration of 2.10 meters high (which helps improve aerodynamics), with the height in “Camp Mode” rising to 3.07 meters.
In terms of charging, these are the specifications:
| Charging connection | NACS |
| Max input charging rate | 155 kW |
| Max AC output charging | 9.6 kW |
| Charging time (Level 2) 0% – 100% | 7.5 hours |
| Charging time (Level 3) 10% – 80% | 42 mins |
| Charging time (Level 3) 0% – 100% | 1 hour |
| Interior & exterior 120v outlets | 16 |
| Exterior 240V outlet | Standard |
| USB-C outlets | 8 |
| Rooftop Solar Array | 1.8 kW |
| Home backup power | Standard |
The Lightship AE.1 Cosmos Edition is the launch version, limited to 50 copies. Its range is 482 km and its price is only for the wealthiest and most eccentric: 250,000 dollars (around 241,000 euros). To sign for the purchase, a deposit of 7,500 dollars (around 7,200 euros) must be made and the rest paid on delivery.
The model is spacious and can sleep four people. The caravan has a dozen large windows that bathe the cabin in natural light and guarantee privileged views of the landscape.
Lightship will, however, build other models in the future. For now, the AE.1 Atmos (end of 2025 for 184,000 dollars), AE.1 Panos (spring 2026, from 151,000 dollars, with 225 km of autonomy) and AE.1 Terros (end of 2026, for 125,000 dollars) models are planned.
