Many commenters have asked questions about Sam, Grounded, and the decisions which resulted in the G2. Watch our in-depth interview with Sam on the Miss GoElectric INDUSTRY channel for much more detail: ua-cam.com/video/scZuLuhYoQc/v-deo.html
YES! FINALLY someone is making electric RVs. They're the PERFECT vehicle to make electric. Especially if you put enough solar on the roof that you could charge the drive batteries with it in a couple days while boondocking.
The 1000W rooftop solar array will not add range to this particular RV, but it is helpful for the cabin equipment. You have the right idea with larger deployable solar arrays. Something like that could be helpful. The high voltage battery in this van has a capacity of around 165kWh. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm! We have extensively reported on other electric RVs here: Explore.missgoelectric.com Thanks for joining us!! -Producer Tim
Yes good news but I'd wait till they start making them with the Tesla standard charge port built in. Also if going to use this in very low temp (or also very high temp eg. Arizona desert) type scenario. I'd like to see how they mitigate that (really useful) track system from thermally bridging any insulation they've got for preventing the outer bodywork-skin temperature becoming the de facto inside temperature of the van.
I actually believe they could replace those panels with 400 W panels which would increase the solar output to 4000 W if you figure only 75% conversion efficiency rate that’s still 3 kW per hour being added back to the battery which could be somewhere between 25 and 40 kWh per day added back to the battery
@@xcel9769There are solar panels that do well in low sunlight, ABC panels would be a great option. And with 95% efficiency. Sunlight also depends on where you are.
Manufacturers typically provide us with review units for a few days when we make the request. Finding the time to film and edit a good review is the challenge. It usually takes more than a full week for us to produce and publish EV reviews. Perhaps one day! -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectricTim, are you the Bob and move cameraman? 🤓 (Teasing, good job! I was wondering how you sat on the entry dash while filimng them in the cab. 👍🏽🤠)
The harder trick is floating up in the sky for arial shots while also somehow being on the ground. Movie magic. Normally we shoot this kind of thing with a DJI Ronin gimbal setup. This time we mostly used a wide angle GoPro10 which is better for tight quarters and quick setup but not as smooth or crisp. Every solution is a tradeoff. I'm a one man band behind the scenes. Sound, direction, cameras. -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Considering. I reached out to see if I could rent one. If I can spend a weekend living in it that would be great. Need to verify it can four season in it down -20F or lower.
I hope to be able to buy a fully electric RV for my retirement in 10 years. However a model 3 and hotels or "beg & breakfasts" are quite a good solution to travel all over Europe.
Thanks for watching our detailed tour. For those looking for even more detail related to Grounded RVs, we'll publish the full interview with founder Sam Shapiro on the Miss GoElectric Industry Channel www.youtube.com/@missgoelectricindustry -Producer Tim
4:27 Nice job on the dry flush bag part and no black water tank. There hits and misses with this build from the outside explanation. I wonder if they considered a recirculating water system. 18:15 Very smart on the track system to cater to their customers needs and for the customer to add things more easily.
need more of these... some idea of pricing would have been nice... one based on a esprinter, another on an etransit... the brightdrop is great because it's so big, and 4wd is chef's kiss.
At 26:02 in this video Sam stated that the all-in price was $195,000 at the time of publishing (November 2024). Thank you for watching this video and we hope you'll consider sharing it online for others to discover. -Producer Tim PS: When you said "need more of these" perhaps you are looking for additional electric RV videos from Miss GoElectric? You'll find several in this playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PL5nuLBN5_QSc-3irl1blsvvjrFeuQ5bPP.html
@glike2 The price of the vans with no upfit directly from GM appear on screen at 27:14 They start around $65k with incentives. They are sold to companies for fleet use and generally qualify for the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit. -Producer Tim www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/commercial-clean-vehicle-credit
There are dozens of modules available. Configurations are far too numerous to practically cover in this 28 minute video. The selection of options is frequently updated at Grounded RVs. The sky is the limit at the $195,000 price. They seem to be able to incorporate whatever each customer needs. -Producer Tim
@@thenetworkarchitectchannel Yes, the range is really good considering how big it is. The solar panels on the roof would likely mean that if it was sunny days, the off grid time could be a lot more. Given that it is all controlled by an app and you have the StarLink, you are never really off grid with the thing. You are only without mains power.
In this video, Sam confirms that the solar array pictured is 1,000W. An upcoming solar awning option will improve that. The array only charges the cabin battery. The propulsion battery cannot be charged with onboard solar conveniently. In a pinch a person could take 120v AC from the cabin battery inverter and slow charge the exterior J1772 port. Thatv prices would be lossy. We do not know if the BrightDrop HV battery supports GM Energy's V2X ecosystem or not. For these and many other details, please watch the full length interview on our Industry channel: ua-cam.com/video/scZuLuhYoQc/v-deo.html -Producer Tim
Looks great! My biggest complaint is that all the cabinet handles stick out. That will be a snagging hazard and very annoying over time. For small interior spaces, you really need flush mount handles.
Flush mount marine and EV handles are great. Grounded RVs is currently using those on the recent builds. The van in this video is a very early revision. I'm guessing it was built in 2022/2023. Thanks for sharing your perspective! -Producer Tim
EV reliability and a much lower cost of operation are common reasons RVers want to go electric. LFP batteries pose basically no fire risk and are becoming increasingly common even...in automotive applications. The cabin battery is LFP but this van's high voltage battery is not. -Producer Tim
This is the longest range EV RV solution we have ever seen. That includes any combination of EV truck and travel trailer (with comparable living space) currently available. An electric incinerator toilet can use about 2kWh per cycle. That is a LOT of energy. Flush five times, no more AC, lights, or Internet. That could be a reason to not offer the option. -Producer Tim
When GM get's around to putting out something closer to 1000w (vs 300w), will it be necessary to have a house system, solar and shore power ? I really want see these commercial EV vans coming standard with 110v 2000w output.
Perhaps there is a misunderstanding. The 300w limitation only applies to the link between the EV's massive 200kWh battery and the smaller 10kWh cabin battery. Users can charge the cabin battery with solar and shore power as well. There are 20 amp outlets all over the place and they work. For example: The heat pump system can draw 1200 watts when it kicks in. The the water heater probably pulls 1000 during an on-cycle. The High-Performance Starlink draws 45-150 watts. RVers should be able to leave all of those systems on while a laptop is charging, the microwave is cooking, and every light is on. No problem. Of course some owners might opt for a larger cabin battery system or bring along separate power stations. -Producer Tim
Thanks. Is that an OEM DC port? you charge your house at what voltage? 300w is not terrible considering its a lot more than most dc-dc charging we get with ICE vans. Just imagine a lot of EV van lifers are going to be happy to just charge up at an EV station and not have to build out or worry about all the house and solar stuff. Also nice to just park in the shade and forget about solar since driving a giant battery around already.
We are not privy to the technical details related to the subsystem connection between the van's high voltage battery and the upfitted low voltage cabin battery. -Producer Tim
1. What kind and thickness is the insulation? 2. How many hours can the AC & heat run? 3. Gas/diesel generator for charging? 4. They should be able to fit well over 1000W of solar on that roof... Thanks
Insulation method, thickness, and R value vary throughout any RV upfit like this. Heat pump system consumption varies proportional to the thermal delta requested. The wattage is variable rather than a toggle of 0% or 100%. Buyers decide what battery capacity they want. For those two reasons, the answer you seek is not absolute. Many days in a temperate climate and fewer at -20F or 120F. People can make electricity however they want too. 175kWh of total battery storage makes gasoline unnecessary for most RVers. Of course, portable generators are cheap and readily available in North America. In this video Sam confirmed that a solar awning is in development for increased energy generation. -Producer Tim
Very cool van . I would be worried though . Not sure , but guessing the batteries are in the floor so what happens if you have a water leak of some sort . I know gas vans have had problems like this where the floor got flooded .
Battery packs are built for floods and always have a pyro-fuse. A water tank of 25 gallons leaking all over will do damage to any vehicle but poses no real safety risk. Tens of gallons of explosive gasoline in a pressurized tank and a pipe carrying lethal carbon monoxide pose a much greater risk of injury or fatality. -Producer Tim
Thank you for watching and sharing your enthusiasm! We hope you'll subscribe to our UA-cam Channels for more. As for the mug...we visited first thing in the morning. 67% of Americans drink coffee. It is an all time high. www.axios.com/2024/04/22/coffee-drinking-record-nca -Producer Tim
Buyer customization process is a personal interaction with the Grounded RV. The all in price is $195,000. You tell them what you need, they make it happen. Many modules are pictured in the animations on the web site and in this video. Grounded RVs production volume capacity is low. An online configurator will become feasible when they have predictable costs, fixed processes, and sufficient scale to warrant the expense of that website feature. -Producer Tim
Just a few modest suggestions from my experience: 120 kW peak charging is kind of low so I would recommend you fix that. Also, just as a friendly recommendation, put all of the outdoor ports behind one panel so that they are hidden and make it more stealth. The back door has to change. Also, you lose nearly 1 foot of storage space by not having that back door all the way to the back of the vehicle. Lastly, using a 1260 kW Lithionics lithium battery pack would be the way to go and have it also charge from the alternator when you drive.
In this video, Sam made it clear that alternative rear door options are in development. There is no alternator. The BrightDrop van is fully electric. The HV battery is about 165kWh and it can charge the default 10kWh cabin battery. -Producer Tim
Like I said, in my comments, based on my experience with both electric vehicles and camper vans, these are just my friendly suggestions. No feedback is bad feedback and yes, I did hear what he said.
270 miles of range is 4.5 hours of nonstop driving at highways speeds. With only one 50 minute charging session during lunch, RVers can easily cover 1,100+ miles per day. What percentage of RVers want to drive that far more than a few days per year? Overnight charging at a campground, hotel, home, or business is cheap (or free) and it accounts for most of the charging done by EV owners. Operational costs are *MUCH* lower with an EV. If time is money...and money is time...this electric Class 2 motorhome will make sense for many folks who do the math. 270 miles is the best range of any EV van available today. Battery technology has been advancing rapidly for a decade and longer range solutions at lower prices are inevitable. If today's EVs are resistible to you, just wait longer. :) -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric You are an electric evangelist, willing to say anything to promote the feasibility of electric campervans. But no, they are not practical. In Europe, we have Ducatos in our van fleet equipped with 110 kWh batteries in the L2H2 configuration, and they are a disaster. They achieve only a 160 km (100 miles) range when half-loaded under normal conditions. Electric vehicles are simply not suitable for vans, trucks, and especially for free camping. Internal combustion engines remain the only viable option.
Thats conservative. Factor in wind & mountains and you'll be lucky to get half of that. You mentioned 65 mph but if you did that on the freeway you'll be hindering the flow of traffic and can actually cause an accident. Your product seems great but I'll keep using my gas version until electric is up to par!
@@daniell6317 Wind and mountains are a challenge for any flat sided rv with mpg and driveability. My gas class b only gets 310 mile of range so planning carefully with any ev is a must. I routinely drive my class b on highways at 60 - 65 mph on the far right lane and have no issues with causing an accident or hindering flow. Class A's generally travel slow as well.
@@MissGoElectric diesel RVs can actually tow, go much further and even to the remotest places as long as they can offrad and much more. its not just about on road driving, not everyone goes to the camping lot or whatever! of course some people are going to be ok with EVs but they are definetly not better than diesel period!
I like it but it has an unfinished feel to it. I’d hire an interior designer and put in better seats. But. All and all, very exciting and I’ll watch how the company grows and changes.
Thanks for sharing your observations. If you follow them on social media you can see videos of their newer builds. You might find that the level of refinement is improved over the earlier example in this video. -Producer Tim
There is no other EV motorhome available in the US with greater range and 4WD. Those are two metrics. It has more torque than any combustion competitors. It is less expensive to operate and has greater reliability than any combustion competitor. I guess it is pretty easy to find ways in which the G2 is superior to alternatives. Your dismissive claim appears to be based upon misinformation. Did you watch the video? -Producer Tim
@MissGoElectric. Wow! That's a hit below the belt to say I didn't even watch the vid. I was impressed with the tech in the vehicle, which is a must these days. The modular interior is very pedestrian to standard looking. I'm an early adopter to software & hardware but certainly not this at $195+K USD. Best 😊.
@sid your declaration that the G2 is "not up to parity by any measure" was also below the belt, unfair, and untrue. Here in the comments I seek to discourage and occasionally decimate purveyors of misinformation and negativity. I also seek to amplify and nourish thoughtful and constructive commentary. It takes a lot of energy, but a culture emerges which is worth the effort To be fair, this is an early van built years ago. The newer examples we've seen online look more refined inside. Sam remarked in this video about subsequent changes in materials and upcoming revisions. He confirmed that the product has advanced since the production of the example we filmed and they are continuously iterating. I think they've built about a dozen so far. Today's G2 buyers are definitely early adopters. As far as we know, Grounded are the first to build RVs on the Brightdrop platform. Thanks for commenting... especially the articulate and well thoughts follow up comment. -Producer Tim
I'm excited to see this, but I have been told that campgound electric hookups are not designed for the continuous draw electric vehicles use while charging. We live in Michigan and drive a Bolt EUV. We wanted to take our granddaughter to the Porcupine Mountins. A Better Route Planner was sending us to Luddington to catch the Badger, lol. Not many chargers in the UP, but lots of campgrounds, so I checked into charging there.
We have charged our EVs at countless RV parks all over the USA. No problem. A NEMA 14-50 port installed by a professional electrician and approved by inspectors must be capable of delivering the rated current. Even if you found an illegal outlet, the G2 allows users to dial back the draw to lower amperage if need be. Like most EVs, the G2 can even charge on a common 100v 15A circuit (Level1) if that is what is handy. Charging is a worry of the past. -Producer Tim
Bolt charges on AC at 7.7kW which is 32 amps with the included cable. That will be no problem for any NEMA 14-50 port. Those circuits are rated for 40 amps sustained. -Producer Tim
I LOVE IT🎉! I have been waiting for someone to make an rv that has decent range and fully electric for a COMPARABLE PRICE! Good work Grounded. This GM vehicle has an exterior look Just Like My 1988 WINNIBAGO ELANDAN CLASS A MOTORHOME . Just need gm to make it capable of 200 kw charging.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your enthusiasm. An EV with a peak charging rate of 200kW might charge more slowly than an EV with a peak charging rate of 120kW, especially with a 165kWh pack like this one. The charging curve matters most for this application. Of course, even with an RV, we know that most of the sessions will not be expensive and inconvenient DC Fast charging. Most of the miles will be driven using energy captured cheaply ( or freely) using the overnight 240v power at the camp site -Producer Tim
Have they actually tested their heat pump in really cold temperatures? Unless it's a specific cold climate heat pump generally heat pumps don't work well below freezing. My home CCHP works down to -25C but gets way less efficient and since it's very cold more heat is being lost over the house. Once the situation gets challenging the amount of energybneeded really spikes and solar in winter is far less potent so how long can you realistically run this not connected to grid in cold weather?
Your statements about heat pumps limitations used to be true. Today's best heat pumps on the market which produce hot air even when ambient temperatures are below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Grounded installs the right hardware for each buyers needs. They've tested these in the winter which is why the founder was able to confirm four season usability in this video Thanks for watching and commenting! -Producer Tim carbonswitch.com/best-cold-climate-heat-pump/
@MissGoElectric Yes, the best on the market.. Which is almost none in vehicles and almost always rely on PTC or some other resistive/kinetic heat in freezing weather like the Mitsu outlander. That's why I asked the question if they actually tested it or of they are just claiming it can put out 15k BTU even though that's a peak rating.
Surely buyers spending $200,000 for a custom Grounded RV G2 can request the hardware which is suitable for their use case The problem is solvable of heat in below zero temperatures is solvable today with off-the-shelf hardware from many manufacturers. I'd guess the total volume of the cabin is less than 1000cu ft. 1BTU is required to change the temperature of 30cu ft of air by 1F. So, 33BTU would raise the whole space by 1F. 330 by 10F. 990 by 30F. 15,000 BTU is plenty even if nominal was closer to 9,000. When I design systems like that, I like to overspec the system so that it runs less than 25% of the time within typical engagement scenarios. -Producer Tim
Thank you for checking out our latest video! Will you consider sharing it online for others to find? From *almost* Canada...Detroit(ish), -Producer Tim
We see them on haulers regularly around here. We first reported on the Brightdrop almost four years ago with this channel began as a news desk style outlet. ua-cam.com/video/rD295LKFMkI/v-deo.html It's great to see them on the roads. -Producer Tim
The Jackery 5000 has 5kWh of energy capacity. It can be paired with modules for much higher capacity in a cluster. Those can be handy, but they are not integrated with the G2 and the Grounded+ app. An easier path for buyers would be to opt for more cabin battery capacity and instant water heater as part of the G2 customization process. Thanks for watching! We have reviewed many power stations on this channel and you can see those at: Explore.missgoelectric.com -Producer Tim
Miss GoElectric is about 6ft tall, slightly more in the winter boots. The interior is 6'8", but of course the shower pan acts as a riser, reducing that figure by 2-3 inches. Their web site will have much more detail for folks interested in purchasing one. -Producer Tim source: newatlas.com/automotive/grounded-250-mile-g2-camper-van/
If you would switch those flex panels to high performance glass- and get a Starlink Mini instead of the high performance one - you could probably fit 1600W - maybe even 2kw on that roof.
We are happy to hear that you are into the G2! Tell a friend ;) The 1000w rooftop solar system is addressed twice in this video. The first mention is at 03:37. The solar array is pictured in several overhead drone shots. Thank you for watching and commenting! -Producer Tim
I like the shape of these, and I want to go electric with a comfy RV so badly, but with the way I travel, that range would barely get me down the road from home :) The technology hasn't caught up to my needs yet, alas. I'll echo what someone else said about having a cover to protect/lock any external ports, but that's a minor design change compared to getting 300+ highway miles on a charge...
Sam confirmed that he has achieved greater than 300 miles on a single charge in the G2. That is about five hours of nonstop highway driving before a quick break to eat, use the restroom, and charge up. Easy. -Producer Tim
I took a 2500+ mi road trip in a Chevy Bolt (EV) 45m-1hr charge isn't much of an issue...an rv would make it even more comfortable. That average RVer isn't doing long roadtrips regularly
@@MissGoElectric That’s encouraging. On my past road trips (unless I had the dog with me) I’d plan on doing no less than 4 hours before making a real rest stop, but one can always modify that in exchange for going EV. I like to put in a lot of miles in a day, but I’m sure I’m not the average RVer in that way. About 900 miles in a day was my max, hopefully never have to do that again!
Nice Van. Huge space. It's great US campgrounds welcome Charging. In Europe I experienced many don't want you to. Despite it can provide the power. My electric Peugeot Camper can't access the HV battery. That's a real downside. Great this is so integrated. Unfortunately we won't see these in Europe.
There will be more up-fitters in time. Grounded is a first mover but has no real moat around the business model. A campground owner might recognize that EVe can consume 75-210kWh of energy in a day. That might represent a $10-25 expense they had not accounted for when they set the site price. Savvy owners recognize the opportunity and charge an EV premium for the convenience. Not all RV park managers are wise business people. Banning is easier than doing arithmetic so it makes sense that occasionally they would ban EVs. We have not encountered any EV prohibition personally, but we've heard about it happening. Based on our experience, it is uncommon. -Producer Tim
The van is built by General Motors and was engineered before GM and Tesla came to an agreement. As of now, there are zero GM EVs in production with a native NACS port. -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric What I should have said, since I know about GM agreeing to have NACS in 2025, that he didn’t mention it, when he was talking about the adapter.
It is not clear that the BrightDrop vehicles used by Grounded RV will all have NACS ports in 2025. Sam made sure the let buyers know they can currently use NACS and CCS dispensers in the USA. One or the other will always require an adapter. We don't think that will be a make-or-break issue for buyers. Do you? -Producer Tim
@ I can’t speak for most people, but for me it would be a deal breaker unless the vehicles was far ahead in other areas. A lot of the chargers are not reliable and with Tesla’s (NACS) it is very reliable along with knowing if it occupied, power of charger, destination of charge and the new V4 being ramped up.
You understand that all BrightDrop vans can currently utilize both CCS and NACS dispensers all over North America... Can you explain the deal breaker? I'm missing the meaningful limitation. -Producer Tim
Miss go it would be awesome for these guys to partner with my friends from northern Wisconsin they make a very similar rv ... solarolla the makers of the route del sol ev and redfoos new rig. Actually it would also be cool to connect you with them too. Dusty Greene met you years ago in sandeigo at the Fully charged event.
Sam at Grounded is easy to reach through their web site. Great team over there. Fully Charged Live San Diego was a fun event. The Miss GoElectric exhibitor booth was always hopping with interesting visitors. Thanks for writing! -Producer Tim
@MissGoElectric cool same witht the solarolla people i think you guys would hav efun checking out what they are up to . I might have met you too then at the end I think I might have helped you guys bring some of you booth stuff out or something I can't remember. I was working for Ricky of tbdv at the time so I stayed late. Dusty Greene
There are hundreds of possible combinations. Each is custom. Many bathroom configurations were shown in the animations and discussed by Sam. -Producer Tim
For clarity, Miss GoElectric did speculate about a roll-up solar awning in the moment. The details of the implementation of the solar awning are not yet known. There are many ways to go about engineering a solution. We've reviewed some flexible solar on this channel as well: Allpowers SF200 Flexible Solar Panel 200w for $200 bit.ly/4dif9FA Save $20 at checkout with coupon code: MISSGOELECTRIC -Producer Tim
The 10kWh onboard cabin battery can be charged by the solar panels, the massive high voltage EV battery, and even the common 120v power outlets. There is no need to visit one of the 70,000 EV charging stations or 100,000 240v RV hookups for cabin energy. A noisy and dangerous gasoline powered generator and fuel tank is not needed or recommended. Of course, Grounded can easily fabricate a mounting solution easily if a buyer wants that. -Producer Tim
@jedics1 The 165kWh high voltage van battery is not connected to the solar array. The G2 solar panels charge the 10kWh cabin battery. You can learn a lot more about the finer details in our separate full length interview at our INDUSTRY channel: ua-cam.com/video/scZuLuhYoQc/v-deo.html -Producer Tim
That is correct. Application programming interfaces allow third parties to interact with data and hardware from first party providers. That integration requires software engineers on both sides and right now most RV companies have exactly none of that unified software solution worked out. Grounded is a leader in their segment in that way. -Producer (and programmer) Tim
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm! Why not subscribe to this channel to be sure you didn't miss the EV RV videos we have scheduled for publishing in December and January? -Producer Tim
👌 SUBSTANTIAL,Miss GoElectric Drive Fly ride go Electic Take care,Miss GoElectric From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 17:39pm Thank you ,brilliant film footage. 📷 man
Looks great, would love one but we’re in the U.K. as for black water, poo, in Europe most of our motorhomes RVs use a cassette that we take to an empty point, its easy and in my case I carry a spare cassette just in case. Not quite up to European standards of finish but not bad.
It looks like you are suggesting a rear door replacement which extends outward like an awning when lifted. That could probably be done with the existing track and a bifold surface. The lower half (skyward portion) would be an interesting surface for additional solar panels, too. -Producer Tim
Sure. Batteries with lower cost and higher energy density will enable continued EV adoption by improving the viability of EV powertrains in more segments. Remember, most EV owners do most of their charging overnight where the vehicle is parked. That could be at home or at a camp site. Every 110v or 220v outlet is a viable source of range for any EV. Designated EV chargers are part of the tapestry, but they are not necessary. Public chargers blanket the country and hundreds of thousands more are scheduled to come online over the next two years. At the moment, most public EV chargers nationwide are unused more than 80% of the time. With a few regional exceptions, I'd argue there is a healthy surplus of public charging infrastructure. -Producer Tim
According to Google AI, these start at 195k. That’s steep, even for an RV. I’m sure the price will come down as they scale and as battery prices drop, but as others have said this vehicle feels unfinished. It will be interesting to see how they (and other RV manufacturers) evolve. Great first start, though.
In this video Sam directly stated that the price is $195k all in. There is no other Class B 24ft electric motorhome on the market as far as we know. It's great to see so many viewers finding this tour of the G2. -Producer Tim
The automatically vacuum-sealed cartridges do not splash like containers and hoses. There is no cleanup. Remember, Sam did give THREE toilet options. That was one of the choices. -Producer Tim
The charging curve matters with a huge battery pack like this one. Other EVs might peak high and early then drop off well below 100kW when the state of charge reaches 30%. This one can hold the peak rate deep into a session. A typical charging stop is about 30 minutes. Trucks and vans have larger battery packs (120kWh-210kWh) which might mean an average stop is closer to an hour. In this video Sam confirmed that he has gotten more than 300 miles out of a single charge in the 24ft G2, fully up-fitted. Let's look at the math with conservative figures: 250 miles at 55mph is 4.5 hours of nonstop driving. A driver does that in the morning and stops for one hour to have lunch while charging. They do it again in the afternoon and arrive at the camp site after a 10hr, 500mi travel day. They plug into the common camp site 240v outlet and receive a full charge by the time they have to move on. No sweat. Remember, there was a single one-hour stop per which coincided with a meal. That is the typical use case. I'd argue that it is a desirable one for most RVers. Practically speaking, no 24ft EV motorhome or travel trailer solution available right now will save vacationers significant time. -Producer Tim
If you drive an internal combustion powered RV, extinguishers are a must. It's even more important if they also have propane tanks or generators onboard. The fire risk is very high. Internal combustion vehicles and the pressurized gasoline they carry are statistically 30-60x more likely to catch on fire causing injury or fatality than today's EVs. Want more safety, reliability, and power? Buy an EV. -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Why do you EV people hide the fact that lithium ion batteries have oxygen built into them and therefore you cannot put out an EV fire by smothering it from its oxygen supply like conventional fires?
If a person wants to have the lowest risk of death or injury by fire, that person should choose an EV. Gasoline is deadly. Internal combustion vehicles incinerate drivers daily. Sometimes they explode, leaving no opportunity for escape. Its wild to me that drivers accept that risk. The lethal carbon monoxide emissions emanating from every combustion vehicle while they are running are not fun, either. Have you ever seen one of hundreds of videos of gas stations exploding? Do you think there are more of those...or EV charging station fires? www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2024/04/21/electric-vehicles-not-guilty-of-excess-short-term-fire-risk-charges/ Very few EV accidents result in fire, and the ones which do are most typically catastrophic high-speed collisions in which occupants were killed by the impact. When a solid steel battery pack enclosure is annihilated, thermal runaway becomes possible for certain battery chemistries. the process takes time. For that reason, very few EV drivers are burned or killed by fire. Todays most popular LFP packs pose little to no fire risk. That said, lithium batteries in laptops, phones, and bicycles should be handled responsibly. ua-cam.com/users/shortslerT0OdQzRw -Producer Tim
Is the fresh tank fill immediately above the charge port a good idea? My NoBo has the black tank flush and outdoor shower immediately above the shore power, and while it may never be an issue it still bugs me. Water and electricity and all that stuff.
An EV like this has high voltage equipment from corner to corner. The shower and sink, windows and living side are directly above the high voltage battery system. EV platform manufacturers engineer solutions to ensure safety even if the vehicle is fully submerged in a flood. This General Motors BrightDrop platform is no exception. No worries. -Producer Tim
Is tank filling/leaking different than rain? If you're the worry kind...45k people die in the US from car accidents...you should probably sell all your vehicles and stay off the road.
Looks great, quite a similar size to my current diesel-powered RV but without the noise and fumes :) Get SolaRolla to add a massive solar 'awning' to it and you'd get close to my dream machine! I'll have to start saving my pennies.
The space required by a diesel engine, exhaust system, fuel tank, and transmission is significant. EV RVs can use space efficiently and deliver the lowest center of gravity, too. They can be charged up just about anywhere. In this video Sam confirms that his team is developing a solar awning. Thank you for commenting and sharing your enthusiasm. -Producer Tim
except with diesel you can acually have a lifted RV, you can tow alot and you are not limited by range at all and you still have the solar kits plus charging the batteries from the alternator, finally you can road trip even in the coldest periods on or offroad!
@@MissGoElectric i strongly disagree with you! the diesel van actually have way more availabe space compared to EVs, that GM doesnt even offer a frunk, the diesel has almost all the bottom of the van free to install auxiliary fuel tank, more water, LPG litteraly all what you can.
@@MissGoElectric EV vans are severely limited by their constructions. a mercedes Sprinter van diesel has solid rear axles, can be converted to solid front axles, they can actually offroad and tow up to 7000lbs+
The GM rearview mirror may require electronic control units which are not practical for this upfit. There are dozens of excellent aftermarket solutions which can fit the bill if OEM solutions are not optimal. Thanks for sharing your perspective. -Producer Tim
2025 SALUTE 🫡 GM bright drop for your new G2 electric RV development . I’m so Glad that your company is America 🇺🇸 manufactured looking Fwd. too, my purchase … Go-green
Have you seen any other new AWD 24ft Class B motorhome at a lower price with a comparable feature set including solar and on board generator? -Producer Tim
The four wheel drive system is mighty attractive to those of us living in cold climates! Thank you for watching and commenting :) Please consider sharing this link online so others can learn what you've learned. -Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Good review👍 I dont think it is about comparison to an ICE. Its about the price you pay for what you get after the cost of the Van. Over a 100K to get the interior down up -- a very nice done up but 100K. I guess its more about about quality over quantity and this is not a big market. Hey, if you have the money and you like - go for it. Cheers
While we agree that "faster is better" we also understand why it is sensible for automakers to design and engineer for the rule rather than the exception. Cost management and common use-case are reasons why this EV might take 5-15 minutes larger to DC fast charge than other vehicles with 150+kWh of battery capacity. Thermal management of huge packs requires a lot of hardware. Chevy BrightDrop (commercial fleet) vans will probably be charged outside of business hours via Level2 (AC) 95-99% of the time. These vans have the longest range on the US market and will likely outrun most delivery worker shift durations on a single charge. -Producer Tim
I like Starlink but that is not true that you would get Internet anywhere. If it is raining or if there is an obstruction in the sky, whether it be trees, buildings or whatever then you’re connection can be intermittent or worse. so whatever campsite you’re going to or excursion, you have to make sure that you’ll have open sky as a requirement else your connectivity will be degraded.
Starlink works in the rain. Clouds do not block Starlink signal. Starlink speeds are better with a wide open sky. Most users are impressed by how well the High-Performance Starlink model works even in the forest. The Starlink network has almost 7,000 satellites in orbit with another 32,000 planned. Unlike other satellite networks, connection options blanket the sky at all times. -Producer Tim
such a shame @groundedrv didnt figure out and include a bathroom module. I think working more closely with some famous vanlife designers would elevate their interior innovations. A white and black version should also be possible. The wood is dated and does not cater for international markets....
Bathroom module illustrations were shown and discussed in this video. Each van is custom with countless possible configurations. Go to their web site to learn more about the bathrooms. Contact them to order a custom layout and choose the materials which you prefer Grounded RV is a startup which has built fewer than 20 RVs so far. The first delivery was about a year ago. Serving the entire globe is not a year-one task. -Producer Tim
Lots of good things in this van for sure but please 😖 not a rooftop ac system. There are other systems that are way more efficient and silent than those energy hogs even the latest and greatest one that came out not long ago. I don’t see the AC on the roof with the solar panels in the video. Hide the water hookup. Make the passenger seat more comfortable for long hauls; captain chair or at least some armrests if nothing else. A solution for a laptop support on the passenger side is a must. Tons of people work up front. The back rollup door is nice but wasted space since you can’t have anything permanently attached to it like small storage without everything falling out. Maybe use the T-track system for a storage solution also? Is GM gathering and selling the vehicle’s data or is it locked?There is a growing concern with that and insurance premiums going up and a class action lawsuit is ongoing.
Heat pump climate control hardware is the MOST energy efficient technology available for this application. The van depicted is very early. Current builds contain many improvements, many of which are mentioned in this video. Eventually, we'll create a deeper dive review of a G2 example which is representative of their latest builds. -Producer Tim
@ Yes, heat pumps are certainly the best solution for this application but not all heat pumps are created equal. I’m an HVAC engineer and can tell you that those rooftop RV systems are not efficient at all. My point was that there are other types of HP that are much more efficient and quiet than these.
The range is only 270 miles, so you would get around 200. I would wait until technology improves to buy one. But this is a great start. You would have to do a lot of charging, if you’re going on long distance trip, especially in cold weather the range would be worse.
In real life Sam personally attested on camera to achieving greater than 300 miles on a single charge in the G2 in this video. Your emphatic speculation that 200 is the real world limit is unfounded. -Producer Tim
@ All EV dealers exaggerate the range and online it says the range is 270 miles and having an EV for 3 years similar range and weighing less, I seriously doubt you’re getting 300 miles of range. Maybe going mph, in an empty van, in the spring and not using AC. 🙄
Dealers do not have any flexibility regarding the representation of EV range. Those figures are set by US Government standards. Sam made it clear that General Motor's range estimate is based on 50% maximum load weight. He said that the G2 is near that figure. He was was very specific stating that he personally has exceed 300 miles of real world range several times in the fully upfitted van pictured in this video. Are you suggesting that the CEO of the company, would risk misrepresentation the product on camera? To our knowledge, the G2 is the longest range 24ft electric RV available in North America. -Producer Tim
Maybe. Sometime in the far distant future. There is no technology in existence or even the foreseeable future that makes this practical. We don't have the infrastructure to support all of the proposed EV's and there is at present no serious proposals to fortify the electrical grid in this country that is necessary to be able to sustain them! This can't possibly do what my Class A diesel pusher motorhome can do, so I'll just keep it, thanks.
It would be insightful if it were true. Unfortunately your comment is based upon misinformation. Unfortunately, there are no electric Class A options today. Supersized RVers will have to settle for lower reliability, less power, high fuel costs, and expensive maintenance for a few more years. -Producer Tim
Did you see the dozens of modules (including storage) which we showed in the animations? Do other 24ft Class B motorhomes have more storage capability and customization? If so, what enables that capacity? -Producer Tim
Each year we publish a video in which a coffee cup is at the center of controversy. How do you like the RV? -Producer Tim See the comments section of this Ford F150 Lightning assembly line tour in which MGE carries a cup of coffee the whole time: ua-cam.com/video/o5tqlXc2qdo/v-deo.html
yea it just felt disrespectful to you as the interviewer. As absurd as it sounds I wasn’t interested in the company because of that 😂. I did look up the GM platform separately though.
Your comment is based on obsolete data or misinformation. Thermal runaway with LFP chemistry is basically impossible. That is what RVs, stationary storage, and many EVs use these days. Sleeping on a tank of explosive gasoline is about 60x more dangerous. -Producer Tim www.recurrentauto.com/research/lfp-battery-in-your-next-ev-tesla-and-others-say-yes
Why are American products so crude. Look at those mirrors. Massive chunky things just waiting to get ripped off. In Europe that van would be equipped with cameras all round. As for having a reversing camera as an option. They’ve been standard for 10 years in Europe.
On average, there are 2.5x more deaths per mile of traffic driving in the USA compared to Europe. Safety regulations here aim to improve that. We have more roadways, larger roadways, and higher top speeds (on average) compared with Europe. Our vehicles are larger, with more inertia. Safety is more important than aesthetics to policymakers here in the USA. At the time of publishing, it is illegal for an automaker to replace side mirrors with a camera. -Producer Tim www.motorbiscuit.com/virtual-mirrors-thing-uk-why-not-us/ www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-11-03/why-us-traffic-safety-fell-so-far-behind-other-countries
Many commenters have asked questions about Sam, Grounded, and the decisions which resulted in the G2. Watch our in-depth interview with Sam on the Miss GoElectric INDUSTRY channel for much more detail:
ua-cam.com/video/scZuLuhYoQc/v-deo.html
YES! FINALLY someone is making electric RVs. They're the PERFECT vehicle to make electric. Especially if you put enough solar on the roof that you could charge the drive batteries with it in a couple days while boondocking.
The 1000W rooftop solar array will not add range to this particular RV, but it is helpful for the cabin equipment.
You have the right idea with larger deployable solar arrays. Something like that could be helpful. The high voltage battery in this van has a capacity of around 165kWh.
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm!
We have extensively reported on other electric RVs here:
Explore.missgoelectric.com
Thanks for joining us!!
-Producer Tim
Yes good news but I'd wait till they start making them with the Tesla standard charge port built in.
Also if going to use this in very low temp (or also very high temp eg. Arizona desert) type scenario. I'd like to see how they mitigate that (really useful) track system from thermally bridging any insulation they've got for preventing the outer bodywork-skin temperature becoming the de facto inside temperature of the van.
I actually believe they could replace those panels with 400 W panels which would increase the solar output to 4000 W if you figure only 75% conversion efficiency rate that’s still 3 kW per hour being added back to the battery which could be somewhere between 25 and 40 kWh per day added back to the battery
There isn't enough electromagnetic radiation from the sun to do 4000W on the roof with existing solar panels.
@@xcel9769There are solar panels that do well in low sunlight, ABC panels would be a great option. And with 95% efficiency. Sunlight also depends on where you are.
Miss Go should rent one for a weekend and produce a review.
Manufacturers typically provide us with review units for a few days when we make the request.
Finding the time to film and edit a good review is the challenge. It usually takes more than a full week for us to produce and publish EV reviews.
Perhaps one day!
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectricTim, are you the Bob and move cameraman? 🤓 (Teasing, good job! I was wondering how you sat on the entry dash while filimng them in the cab. 👍🏽🤠)
The harder trick is floating up in the sky for arial shots while also somehow being on the ground. Movie magic.
Normally we shoot this kind of thing with a DJI Ronin gimbal setup. This time we mostly used a wide angle GoPro10 which is better for tight quarters and quick setup but not as smooth or crisp. Every solution is a tradeoff.
I'm a one man band behind the scenes. Sound, direction, cameras.
-Producer Tim
Wow. You asked all of the great questions! Very informative video! Thank you.
She will be stuck in the woods cause the TREES will block the sun
Stupid is as stupid does
I was waiting for someone to make an RV out of the Brightdrop platform. Solid range if driven for that.
We agree! Will you buy one?
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Considering. I reached out to see if I could rent one. If I can spend a weekend living in it that would be great. Need to verify it can four season in it down -20F or lower.
I hope to be able to buy a fully electric RV for my retirement in 10 years. However a model 3 and hotels or "beg & breakfasts" are quite a good solution to travel all over Europe.
It is wonderful to see EVs filling every use case and form factor. Thanks for commenting!
-Producer Tim
Very impressive and great innovation around Electric RVs. Game changing and I really hope they succeed.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your enthusiasm! -Producer Tim
Love this company. Their products are so compelling and well thought out
Thanks for watching our detailed tour.
For those looking for even more detail related to Grounded RVs, we'll publish the full interview with founder Sam Shapiro on the Miss GoElectric Industry Channel
www.youtube.com/@missgoelectricindustry
-Producer Tim
4:27 Nice job on the dry flush bag part and no black water tank. There hits and misses with this build from the outside explanation. I wonder if they considered a recirculating water system. 18:15 Very smart on the track system to cater to their customers needs and for the customer to add things more easily.
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
-Producer Tim
need more of these... some idea of pricing would have been nice... one based on a esprinter, another on an etransit... the brightdrop is great because it's so big, and 4wd is chef's kiss.
At 26:02 in this video Sam stated that the all-in price was $195,000 at the time of publishing
(November 2024).
Thank you for watching this video and we hope you'll consider sharing it online for others to discover.
-Producer Tim
PS: When you said "need more of these" perhaps you are looking for additional electric RV videos from Miss GoElectric? You'll find several in this playlist:
ua-cam.com/play/PL5nuLBN5_QSc-3irl1blsvvjrFeuQ5bPP.html
This is a really interesting podcast. Thanks for keeping us updated the Highlander.😊
@glike2 The price of the vans with no upfit directly from GM appear on screen at 27:14
They start around $65k with incentives. They are sold to companies for fleet use and generally qualify for the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit.
-Producer Tim
www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/commercial-clean-vehicle-credit
Very cool video and thanks for introducing us to Grounded RV!
Thank you for joining us!
-Producer Tim
It is a generous size for two people. I think many will opt for the smaller sized unit.
You didn't mention the fridge and cooktop options.
There are dozens of modules available. Configurations are far too numerous to practically cover in this 28 minute video.
The selection of options is frequently updated at Grounded RVs. The sky is the limit at the $195,000 price. They seem to be able to incorporate whatever each customer needs.
-Producer Tim
I like the class leading range too. With a big battery like that, you can be off grid for like a week.
@@thenetworkarchitectchannel Yes, the range is really good considering how big it is. The solar panels on the roof would likely mean that if it was sunny days, the off grid time could be a lot more. Given that it is all controlled by an app and you have the StarLink, you are never really off grid with the thing. You are only without mains power.
What is the output of the solar array, & is there a bi-directional option for the battery?
In this video, Sam confirms that the solar array pictured is 1,000W. An upcoming solar awning option will improve that. The array only charges the cabin battery. The propulsion battery cannot be charged with onboard solar conveniently. In a pinch a person could take 120v AC from the cabin battery inverter and slow charge the exterior J1772 port. Thatv prices would be lossy.
We do not know if the BrightDrop HV battery supports GM Energy's V2X ecosystem or not.
For these and many other details, please watch the full length interview on our Industry channel:
ua-cam.com/video/scZuLuhYoQc/v-deo.html
-Producer Tim
Looks great! My biggest complaint is that all the cabinet handles stick out. That will be a snagging hazard and very annoying over time. For small interior spaces, you really need flush mount handles.
Flush mount marine and EV handles are great. Grounded RVs is currently using those on the recent builds. The van in this video is a very early revision. I'm guessing it was built in 2022/2023.
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
-Producer Tim
@ That’s great to hear! I was hoping that was the case.
Saw Miss Go doing the review, this is awesome to see. I hope more companies will be doing this. Great job guys.
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm!
We hope you'll share the link so that others can learn more.
-Producer Tim
This is the future, love it ! I'm still a little leery of lithium, but once solid state batteries become available, I will be all-in.
EV reliability and a much lower cost of operation are common reasons RVers want to go electric.
LFP batteries pose basically no fire risk and are becoming increasingly common even...in automotive applications. The cabin battery is LFP but this van's high voltage battery is not.
-Producer Tim
Why not an incinerator toilet in an electric van? 270 miles is decent, not great, but decent. I've been eying the Brightdrop for a custom build.
This is the longest range EV RV solution we have ever seen. That includes any combination of EV truck and travel trailer (with comparable living space) currently available.
An electric incinerator toilet can use about 2kWh per cycle. That is a LOT of energy. Flush five times, no more AC, lights, or Internet. That could be a reason to not offer the option.
-Producer Tim
The base factory brightdrop Zevo really seems like by far the best deal of all the cargo van options
Agreed. -Producer Tim
Could the Cinderella Incineration toilets be an option? Wery power demanding, but really good soulution if you have the power to spare.
The available options were outlined in this video. Buyers might just go get some third party solution if they want something else.
-Producer Tim
When GM get's around to putting out something closer to 1000w (vs 300w), will it be necessary to have a house system, solar and shore power ? I really want see these commercial EV vans coming standard with 110v 2000w output.
Or at least a high-power DC connection we can plug our own inverter into.
Perhaps there is a misunderstanding.
The 300w limitation only applies to the link between the EV's massive 200kWh battery and the smaller 10kWh cabin battery. Users can charge the cabin battery with solar and shore power as well.
There are 20 amp outlets all over the place and they work. For example: The heat pump system can draw 1200 watts when it kicks in. The the water heater probably pulls 1000 during an on-cycle. The High-Performance Starlink draws 45-150 watts. RVers should be able to leave all of those systems on while a laptop is charging, the microwave is cooking, and every light is on. No problem.
Of course some owners might opt for a larger cabin battery system or bring along separate power stations.
-Producer Tim
Thanks. Is that an OEM DC port? you charge your house at what voltage? 300w is not terrible considering its a lot more than most dc-dc charging we get with ICE vans. Just imagine a lot of EV van lifers are going to be happy to just charge up at an EV station and not have to build out or worry about all the house and solar stuff. Also nice to just park in the shade and forget about solar since driving a giant battery around already.
We are not privy to the technical details related to the subsystem connection between the van's high voltage battery and the upfitted low voltage cabin battery. -Producer Tim
1. What kind and thickness is the insulation?
2. How many hours can the AC & heat run?
3. Gas/diesel generator for charging?
4. They should be able to fit well over 1000W of solar on that roof...
Thanks
Insulation method, thickness, and R value vary throughout any RV upfit like this.
Heat pump system consumption varies proportional to the thermal delta requested. The wattage is variable rather than a toggle of 0% or 100%. Buyers decide what battery capacity they want. For those two reasons, the answer you seek is not absolute. Many days in a temperate climate and fewer at -20F or 120F.
People can make electricity however they want too. 175kWh of total battery storage makes gasoline unnecessary for most RVers. Of course, portable generators are cheap and readily available in North America.
In this video Sam confirmed that a solar awning is in development for increased energy generation.
-Producer Tim
Thank you for bringing this to us.
Thank you for watching and commenting, friend.
-Producer Tim
Very cool van . I would be worried though . Not sure , but guessing the batteries are in the floor so what happens if you have a water leak of some sort . I know gas vans have had problems like this where the floor got flooded .
Battery packs are built for floods and always have a pyro-fuse. A water tank of 25 gallons leaking all over will do damage to any vehicle but poses no real safety risk. Tens of gallons of explosive gasoline in a pressurized tank and a pipe carrying lethal carbon monoxide pose a much greater risk of injury or fatality. -Producer Tim
Solar awnings! The future is going to be amazing! Cant wait!
More excitement at:
Explore.missgoelectric.com
Thank you for joining us!
-Producer Tim
Great video! Why… did he have a coffee cup the whole time?! 😂
Thank you for watching and sharing your enthusiasm! We hope you'll subscribe to our UA-cam Channels for more.
As for the mug...we visited first thing in the morning. 67% of Americans drink coffee. It is an all time high.
www.axios.com/2024/04/22/coffee-drinking-record-nca
-Producer Tim
I find very little information on their website about configuration options for the different modules. They must be really new.
Buyer customization process is a personal interaction with the Grounded RV.
The all in price is $195,000. You tell them what you need, they make it happen. Many modules are pictured in the animations on the web site and in this video.
Grounded RVs production volume capacity is low. An online configurator will become feasible when they have predictable costs, fixed processes, and sufficient scale to warrant the expense of that website feature.
-Producer Tim
Just a few modest suggestions from my experience: 120 kW peak charging is kind of low so I would recommend you fix that. Also, just as a friendly recommendation, put all of the outdoor ports behind one panel so that they are hidden and make it more stealth. The back door has to change. Also, you lose nearly 1 foot of storage space by not having that back door all the way to the back of the vehicle. Lastly, using a 1260 kW Lithionics lithium battery pack would be the way to go and have it also charge from the alternator when you drive.
In this video, Sam made it clear that alternative rear door options are in development.
There is no alternator. The BrightDrop van is fully electric. The HV battery is about 165kWh and it can charge the default 10kWh cabin battery.
-Producer Tim
Like I said, in my comments, based on my experience with both electric vehicles and camper vans, these are just my friendly suggestions. No feedback is bad feedback and yes, I did hear what he said.
Thanks for this ERV coverage.
Electric RV videos have been our most popular content this year. Thank you for watching!
-Producer Tim
I'm surprised incendiary toilets isn't an option. I use a Incinolet in my 5th wheel to eliminate the blackwater tank issues.
Ben identified the three toilet options which Grounded offers. A buyer could skip the toilet and do their own thing. No sweat.
-Producer Tim
What practical for a RV, such low travel range
270 miles of range is 4.5 hours of nonstop driving at highways speeds. With only one 50 minute charging session during lunch, RVers can easily cover 1,100+ miles per day. What percentage of RVers want to drive that far more than a few days per year?
Overnight charging at a campground, hotel, home, or business is cheap (or free) and it accounts for most of the charging done by EV owners. Operational costs are *MUCH* lower with an EV. If time is money...and money is time...this electric Class 2 motorhome will make sense for many folks who do the math.
270 miles is the best range of any EV van available today. Battery technology has been advancing rapidly for a decade and longer range solutions at lower prices are inevitable. If today's EVs are resistible to you, just wait longer. :)
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric You are an electric evangelist, willing to say anything to promote the feasibility of electric campervans. But no, they are not practical. In Europe, we have Ducatos in our van fleet equipped with 110 kWh batteries in the L2H2 configuration, and they are a disaster. They achieve only a 160 km (100 miles) range when half-loaded under normal conditions.
Electric vehicles are simply not suitable for vans, trucks, and especially for free camping. Internal combustion engines remain the only viable option.
Thats conservative. Factor in wind & mountains and you'll be lucky to get half of that. You mentioned 65 mph but if you did that on the freeway you'll be hindering the flow of traffic and can actually cause an accident. Your product seems great but I'll keep using my gas version until electric is up to par!
@@daniell6317 Wind and mountains are a challenge for any flat sided rv with mpg and driveability. My gas class b only gets 310 mile of range so planning carefully with any ev is a must. I routinely drive my class b on highways at 60 - 65 mph on the far right lane and have no issues with causing an accident or hindering flow. Class A's generally travel slow as well.
@@MissGoElectric diesel RVs can actually tow, go much further and even to the remotest places as long as they can offrad and much more. its not just about on road driving, not everyone goes to the camping lot or whatever! of course some people are going to be ok with EVs but they are definetly not better than diesel period!
I like it but it has an unfinished feel to it. I’d hire an interior designer and put in better seats. But. All and all, very exciting and I’ll watch how the company grows and changes.
Thanks for sharing your observations. If you follow them on social media you can see videos of their newer builds. You might find that the level of refinement is improved over the earlier example in this video. -Producer Tim
When people say potential, it means you are not up to parity by any measure. This has potential.
There is no other EV motorhome available in the US with greater range and 4WD. Those are two metrics.
It has more torque than any combustion competitors. It is less expensive to operate and has greater reliability than any combustion competitor.
I guess it is pretty easy to find ways in which the G2 is superior to alternatives. Your dismissive claim appears to be based upon misinformation. Did you watch the video?
-Producer Tim
@MissGoElectric. Wow! That's a hit below the belt to say I didn't even watch the vid. I was impressed with the tech in the vehicle, which is a must these days. The modular interior is very pedestrian to standard looking. I'm an early adopter to software & hardware but certainly not this at $195+K USD. Best 😊.
@sid your declaration that the G2 is "not up to parity by any measure" was also below the belt, unfair, and untrue. Here in the comments I seek to discourage and occasionally decimate purveyors of misinformation and negativity.
I also seek to amplify and nourish thoughtful and constructive commentary. It takes a lot of energy, but a culture emerges which is worth the effort
To be fair, this is an early van built years ago. The newer examples we've seen online look more refined inside.
Sam remarked in this video about subsequent changes in materials and upcoming revisions. He confirmed that the product has advanced since the production of the example we filmed and they are continuously iterating. I think they've built about a dozen so far.
Today's G2 buyers are definitely early adopters. As far as we know, Grounded are the first to build RVs on the Brightdrop platform.
Thanks for commenting... especially the articulate and well thoughts follow up comment.
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric My apologies, I didn't mean to come across that way. Pls disregard the wording 🙏
Have you looked into Rivian vans?
A Rivian EDV delivers about half of the range of the BrightDrop Vans. For that reason, Rivian's platform is suboptimal for most RVers.
-Producer Tim
Congratulations for this best alternativa.
Thank you for watching to learn more!
-Producer Tim
I'm excited to see this, but I have been told that campgound electric hookups are not designed for the continuous draw electric vehicles use while charging. We live in Michigan and drive a Bolt EUV. We wanted to take our granddaughter to the Porcupine Mountins. A Better Route Planner was sending us to Luddington to catch the Badger, lol. Not many chargers in the UP, but lots of campgrounds, so I checked into charging there.
We have charged our EVs at countless RV parks all over the USA. No problem.
A NEMA 14-50 port installed by a professional electrician and approved by inspectors must be capable of delivering the rated current. Even if you found an illegal outlet, the G2 allows users to dial back the draw to lower amperage if need be.
Like most EVs, the G2 can even charge on a common 100v 15A circuit (Level1) if that is what is handy.
Charging is a worry of the past.
-Producer Tim
@MissGoElectric I have no idea if our Bolt EUV has that function. But thanks for the info.
Bolt charges on AC at 7.7kW which is 32 amps with the included cable. That will be no problem for any NEMA 14-50 port. Those circuits are rated for 40 amps sustained.
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric thanks! Now we can take our granddaughter to the Porcupine Mountins!
I LOVE IT🎉! I have been waiting for someone to make an rv that has decent range and fully electric for a COMPARABLE PRICE! Good work Grounded. This GM vehicle has an exterior look Just Like My 1988 WINNIBAGO ELANDAN CLASS A MOTORHOME . Just need gm to make it capable of 200 kw charging.
Thank you for watching and for sharing your enthusiasm.
An EV with a peak charging rate of 200kW might charge more slowly than an EV with a peak charging rate of 120kW, especially with a 165kWh pack like this one. The charging curve matters most for this application.
Of course, even with an RV, we know that most of the sessions will not be expensive and inconvenient DC Fast charging. Most of the miles will be driven using energy captured cheaply ( or freely) using the overnight 240v power at the camp site
-Producer Tim
Have they actually tested their heat pump in really cold temperatures? Unless it's a specific cold climate heat pump generally heat pumps don't work well below freezing. My home CCHP works down to -25C but gets way less efficient and since it's very cold more heat is being lost over the house. Once the situation gets challenging the amount of energybneeded really spikes and solar in winter is far less potent so how long can you realistically run this not connected to grid in cold weather?
Your statements about heat pumps limitations used to be true. Today's best heat pumps on the market which produce hot air even when ambient temperatures are below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Grounded installs the right hardware for each buyers needs.
They've tested these in the winter which is why the founder was able to confirm four season usability in this video
Thanks for watching and commenting!
-Producer Tim
carbonswitch.com/best-cold-climate-heat-pump/
@MissGoElectric Yes, the best on the market..
Which is almost none in vehicles and almost always rely on PTC or some other resistive/kinetic heat in freezing weather like the Mitsu outlander. That's why I asked the question if they actually tested it or of they are just claiming it can put out 15k BTU even though that's a peak rating.
Surely buyers spending $200,000 for a custom Grounded RV G2 can request the hardware which is suitable for their use case The problem is solvable of heat in below zero temperatures is solvable today with off-the-shelf hardware from many manufacturers. I'd guess the total volume of the cabin is less than 1000cu ft.
1BTU is required to change the temperature of 30cu ft of air by 1F. So, 33BTU would raise the whole space by 1F. 330 by 10F. 990 by 30F. 15,000 BTU is plenty even if nominal was closer to 9,000.
When I design systems like that, I like to overspec the system so that it runs less than 25% of the time within typical engagement scenarios.
-Producer Tim
Great content….keep rolling (from Canada)
Thank you for checking out our latest video!
Will you consider sharing it online for others to find?
From *almost* Canada...Detroit(ish),
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric The Brightdrop vans are "from" Canada too... built in Ingersoll Ontario.
We see them on haulers regularly around here.
We first reported on the Brightdrop almost four years ago with this channel began as a news desk style outlet.
ua-cam.com/video/rD295LKFMkI/v-deo.html
It's great to see them on the roads.
-Producer Tim
Wow … that’s cool… what an awesome company. I have found you and have been impressed with your content…. Fresh and clear… do you ever come to Toronto?
If I win a lottery I would buy one … amazing product… I am buying a Mustang Mach E
Is that rear roll up door insulated? It would kinda stink if not.
They insulate all of the new ones. - Producer Tim
The jackery 5000 has 7200w 220. It could possibly replace the hot water tanks with an instanteous electric heater.
The Jackery 5000 has 5kWh of energy capacity. It can be paired with modules for much higher capacity in a cluster. Those can be handy, but they are not integrated with the G2 and the Grounded+ app. An easier path for buyers would be to opt for more cabin battery capacity and instant water heater as part of the G2 customization process.
Thanks for watching!
We have reviewed many power stations on this channel and you can see those at:
Explore.missgoelectric.com
-Producer Tim
Do we know what the interior height is? You mentioned you are 6’1” with heels, looks like you were close to the ceiling
Miss GoElectric is about 6ft tall, slightly more in the winter boots. The interior is 6'8", but of course the shower pan acts as a riser, reducing that figure by 2-3 inches. Their web site will have much more detail for folks interested in purchasing one.
-Producer Tim
source: newatlas.com/automotive/grounded-250-mile-g2-camper-van/
Fantastic, exactly what I've been looking for!
Excellent. If you decide to buy one, we hope you'll tell them where you discovered them. :)
Thanks for watching and commenting! -Producer Tim
If you would switch those flex panels to high performance glass- and get a Starlink Mini instead of the high performance one - you could probably fit 1600W - maybe even 2kw on that roof.
Each RV is built to order and at the $200,000 price point its reasonable to expect that such customizations are achievable.
-Producer Tim
Love it! I think covering the the solar system was missed?
We are happy to hear that you are into the G2! Tell a friend ;)
The 1000w rooftop solar system is addressed twice in this video. The first mention is at 03:37.
The solar array is pictured in several overhead drone shots.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
-Producer Tim
@MissGoElectric thanks I must have missed it 👍⚡⚡
I like the shape of these, and I want to go electric with a comfy RV so badly, but with the way I travel, that range would barely get me down the road from home :) The technology hasn't caught up to my needs yet, alas. I'll echo what someone else said about having a cover to protect/lock any external ports, but that's a minor design change compared to getting 300+ highway miles on a charge...
Sam confirmed that he has achieved greater than 300 miles on a single charge in the G2. That is about five hours of nonstop highway driving before a quick break to eat, use the restroom, and charge up. Easy.
-Producer Tim
I took a 2500+ mi road trip in a Chevy Bolt (EV) 45m-1hr charge isn't much of an issue...an rv would make it even more comfortable. That average RVer isn't doing long roadtrips regularly
@@MissGoElectric That’s encouraging. On my past road trips (unless I had the dog with me) I’d plan on doing no less than 4 hours before making a real rest stop, but one can always modify that in exchange for going EV. I like to put in a lot of miles in a day, but I’m sure I’m not the average RVer in that way. About 900 miles in a day was my max, hopefully never have to do that again!
Nice Van. Huge space.
It's great US campgrounds welcome Charging. In Europe I experienced many don't want you to. Despite it can provide the power.
My electric Peugeot Camper can't access the HV battery. That's a real downside. Great this is so integrated.
Unfortunately we won't see these in Europe.
There will be more up-fitters in time. Grounded is a first mover but has no real moat around the business model.
A campground owner might recognize that EVe can consume 75-210kWh of energy in a day. That might represent a $10-25 expense they had not accounted for when they set the site price.
Savvy owners recognize the opportunity and charge an EV premium for the convenience. Not all RV park managers are wise business people. Banning is easier than doing arithmetic so it makes sense that occasionally they would ban EVs.
We have not encountered any EV prohibition personally, but we've heard about it happening. Based on our experience, it is uncommon.
-Producer Tim
3:11 I am surprise they didn’t go with a NACS charger. That was a miss for them. Good thing they can do it on future models.
The van is built by General Motors and was engineered before GM and Tesla came to an agreement. As of now, there are zero GM EVs in production with a native NACS port.
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric What I should have said, since I know about GM agreeing to have NACS in 2025, that he didn’t mention it, when he was talking about the adapter.
It is not clear that the BrightDrop vehicles used by Grounded RV will all have NACS ports in 2025. Sam made sure the let buyers know they can currently use NACS and CCS dispensers in the USA. One or the other will always require an adapter. We don't think that will be a make-or-break issue for buyers. Do you? -Producer Tim
@ I can’t speak for most people, but for me it would be a deal breaker unless the vehicles was far ahead in other areas. A lot of the chargers are not reliable and with Tesla’s (NACS) it is very reliable along with knowing if it occupied, power of charger, destination of charge and the new V4 being ramped up.
You understand that all BrightDrop vans can currently utilize both CCS and NACS dispensers all over North America... Can you explain the deal breaker? I'm missing the meaningful limitation.
-Producer Tim
Miss go it would be awesome for these guys to partner with my friends from northern Wisconsin they make a very similar rv ... solarolla the makers of the route del sol ev and redfoos new rig.
Actually it would also be cool to connect you with them too.
Dusty Greene met you years ago in sandeigo at the Fully charged event.
Sam at Grounded is easy to reach through their web site. Great team over there.
Fully Charged Live San Diego was a fun event. The Miss GoElectric exhibitor booth was always hopping with interesting visitors. Thanks for writing!
-Producer Tim
@MissGoElectric cool same witht the solarolla people i think you guys would hav efun checking out what they are up to . I might have met you too then at the end I think I might have helped you guys bring some of you booth stuff out or something I can't remember. I was working for Ricky of tbdv at the time so I stayed late.
Dusty Greene
OMG It's a GMC. I'm in LOVE! 🥰
From a specification standpoint, the Chevy BrightDrop platform outperforms EV van competition fairly handily. Thanks for commenting!
-Producer Tim
Love this electric RV, however, I Don’t ser the bathroom WC…????
There are hundreds of possible combinations. Each is custom. Many bathroom configurations were shown in the animations and discussed by Sam. -Producer Tim
7:00 bouge RV has the cigs solar which is a top notch product. Just very expensive can't wait for the price to drop on them.
For clarity, Miss GoElectric did speculate about a roll-up solar awning in the moment. The details of the implementation of the solar awning are not yet known. There are many ways to go about engineering a solution.
We've reviewed some flexible solar on this channel as well:
Allpowers SF200 Flexible Solar Panel 200w for $200
bit.ly/4dif9FA
Save $20 at checkout with coupon code: MISSGOELECTRIC
-Producer Tim
Needs a trailer hitch for towing a generator. There are areas in the western US where charging stations are spread too far apart.
The 10kWh onboard cabin battery can be charged by the solar panels, the massive high voltage EV battery, and even the common 120v power outlets. There is no need to visit one of the 70,000 EV charging stations or 100,000 240v RV hookups for cabin energy.
A noisy and dangerous gasoline powered generator and fuel tank is not needed or recommended. Of course, Grounded can easily fabricate a mounting solution easily if a buyer wants that.
-Producer Tim
What is the range ?
270 miles but Sam has said he has gotten 300+ before.
Its going to take weeks to charge the van with that amount of solar, EV Rvs are the future but we aren't there for a while yet.
@jedics1 The 165kWh high voltage van battery is not connected to the solar array. The G2 solar panels charge the 10kWh cabin battery.
You can learn a lot more about the finer details in our separate full length interview at our INDUSTRY channel:
ua-cam.com/video/scZuLuhYoQc/v-deo.html
-Producer Tim
Super cool!
We agree! Thank you for watching and commenting. We hope you'll subscribe for more.
-Producer Tim
10:37 That's called API interface. And GM has a ton of Onstar API interfaces including ability to start and stop the vehicle.
That is correct. Application programming interfaces allow third parties to interact with data and hardware from first party providers.
That integration requires software engineers on both sides and right now most RV companies have exactly none of that unified software solution worked out. Grounded is a leader in their segment in that way.
-Producer (and programmer) Tim
Cool
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm! Why not subscribe to this channel to be sure you didn't miss the EV RV videos we have scheduled for publishing in December and January?
-Producer Tim
👌
SUBSTANTIAL,Miss GoElectric
Drive Fly ride go Electic
Take care,Miss GoElectric
From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧 ⏰️ 17:39pm
Thank you ,brilliant film footage. 📷 man
A cool product!
Thanks for watching. -Producer Tim
Looks great, would love one but we’re in the U.K. as for black water, poo, in Europe most of our motorhomes RVs use a cassette that we take to an empty point, its easy and in my case I carry a spare cassette just in case. Not quite up to European standards of finish but not bad.
Thanks for watching.
-Producer Tim
Rear door, lift up for roof over entry exit.
It looks like you are suggesting a rear door replacement which extends outward like an awning when lifted. That could probably be done with the existing track and a bifold surface. The lower half (skyward portion) would be an interesting surface for additional solar panels, too.
-Producer Tim
solidstate esprinters will change van life and more chargers will be needed.
Sure. Batteries with lower cost and higher energy density will enable continued EV adoption by improving the viability of EV powertrains in more segments.
Remember, most EV owners do most of their charging overnight where the vehicle is parked. That could be at home or at a camp site. Every 110v or 220v outlet is a viable source of range for any EV. Designated EV chargers are part of the tapestry, but they are not necessary.
Public chargers blanket the country and hundreds of thousands more are scheduled to come online over the next two years.
At the moment, most public EV chargers nationwide are unused more than 80% of the time. With a few regional exceptions, I'd argue there is a healthy surplus of public charging infrastructure.
-Producer Tim
I like the wood, it makes it feel cozy.
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
-Producer Tim
According to Google AI, these start at 195k. That’s steep, even for an RV. I’m sure the price will come down as they scale and as battery prices drop, but as others have said this vehicle feels unfinished. It will be interesting to see how they (and other RV manufacturers) evolve. Great first start, though.
In this video Sam directly stated that the price is $195k all in. There is no other Class B 24ft electric motorhome on the market as far as we know. It's great to see so many viewers finding this tour of the G2.
-Producer Tim
Tell them to knock off 20k, I bet you could get it cheaper
Price becomes flexible when supply exceeds demand. Do you think they have a shortage of demand? -Producer Tim
What a great concept to have an EV RV. But what the deal with every Ev interview and the coffee cup that never gets sipped 😂😂
We've published a much more in depth interview about Sam and Grounded on the Industry Channel:
InCharge.missgoelectric.com
-Producer Tim
This looks like the Ben 10 Creature with the Eyes
Where would you drive a Grounded RV G2 if you had one?
-Producer Tim
Cartridge dumping would be more messy that hooking up a hose and dumping the black tanks
The automatically vacuum-sealed cartridges do not splash like containers and hoses. There is no cleanup.
Remember, Sam did give THREE toilet options. That was one of the choices. -Producer Tim
120KW DC charging is quite slow. Not very practical for long trips where you have to charge on the road
The charging curve matters with a huge battery pack like this one. Other EVs might peak high and early then drop off well below 100kW when the state of charge reaches 30%. This one can hold the peak rate deep into a session.
A typical charging stop is about 30 minutes. Trucks and vans have larger battery packs (120kWh-210kWh) which might mean an average stop is closer to an hour.
In this video Sam confirmed that he has gotten more than 300 miles out of a single charge in the 24ft G2, fully up-fitted.
Let's look at the math with conservative figures:
250 miles at 55mph is 4.5 hours of nonstop driving.
A driver does that in the morning and stops for one hour to have lunch while charging. They do it again in the afternoon and arrive at the camp site after a 10hr, 500mi travel day.
They plug into the common camp site 240v outlet and receive a full charge by the time they have to move on. No sweat.
Remember, there was a single one-hour stop per which coincided with a meal. That is the typical use case. I'd argue that it is a desirable one for most RVers.
Practically speaking, no 24ft EV motorhome or travel trailer solution available right now will save vacationers significant time.
-Producer Tim
Why is the coffee he's carrying fake? 17:00
Its a real cup with a lid.
We do not have a prop department or a budget for computer generated imagery. -Producer Tim
I love the RV but where is the toilet
There are several toilet options and they are explained at about the three minute mark.
-Producer Tim
Keep plenty of fire exstinguisher's handy.
If you drive an internal combustion powered RV, extinguishers are a must. It's even more important if they also have propane tanks or generators onboard. The fire risk is very high.
Internal combustion vehicles and the pressurized gasoline they carry are statistically 30-60x more likely to catch on fire causing injury or fatality than today's EVs.
Want more safety, reliability, and power?
Buy an EV.
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric Yes but those are conventional fires and EV fire is like a napalm bomb - it's not even close.
@@MissGoElectric Why do you EV people hide the fact that lithium ion batteries have oxygen built into them and therefore you cannot put out an EV fire by smothering it from its oxygen supply like conventional fires?
If a person wants to have the lowest risk of death or injury by fire, that person should choose an EV. Gasoline is deadly.
Internal combustion vehicles incinerate drivers daily. Sometimes they explode, leaving no opportunity for escape. Its wild to me that drivers accept that risk. The lethal carbon monoxide emissions emanating from every combustion vehicle while they are running are not fun, either. Have you ever seen one of hundreds of videos of gas stations exploding? Do you think there are more of those...or EV charging station fires?
www.forbes.com/sites/neilwinton/2024/04/21/electric-vehicles-not-guilty-of-excess-short-term-fire-risk-charges/
Very few EV accidents result in fire, and the ones which do are most typically catastrophic high-speed collisions in which occupants were killed by the impact. When a solid steel battery pack enclosure is annihilated, thermal runaway becomes possible for certain battery chemistries. the process takes time. For that reason, very few EV drivers are burned or killed by fire. Todays most popular LFP packs pose little to no fire risk.
That said, lithium batteries in laptops, phones, and bicycles should be handled responsibly.
ua-cam.com/users/shortslerT0OdQzRw
-Producer Tim
Is the fresh tank fill immediately above the charge port a good idea? My NoBo has the black tank flush and outdoor shower immediately above the shore power, and while it may never be an issue it still bugs me. Water and electricity and all that stuff.
An EV like this has high voltage equipment from corner to corner. The shower and sink, windows and living side are directly above the high voltage battery system.
EV platform manufacturers engineer solutions to ensure safety even if the vehicle is fully submerged in a flood. This General Motors BrightDrop platform is no exception.
No worries.
-Producer Tim
Is tank filling/leaking different than rain?
If you're the worry kind...45k people die in the US from car accidents...you should probably sell all your vehicles and stay off the road.
I love it !!!🇲🇽✌🏼
Excellent enthusiasm!
-Producer Tim
Looks great, quite a similar size to my current diesel-powered RV but without the noise and fumes :) Get SolaRolla to add a massive solar 'awning' to it and you'd get close to my dream machine! I'll have to start saving my pennies.
The space required by a diesel engine, exhaust system, fuel tank, and transmission is significant.
EV RVs can use space efficiently and deliver the lowest center of gravity, too. They can be charged up just about anywhere. In this video Sam confirms that his team is developing a solar awning.
Thank you for commenting and sharing your enthusiasm. -Producer Tim
except with diesel you can acually have a lifted RV, you can tow alot and you are not limited by range at all and you still have the solar kits plus charging the batteries from the alternator, finally you can road trip even in the coldest periods on or offroad!
@@MissGoElectric i strongly disagree with you! the diesel van actually have way more availabe space compared to EVs, that GM doesnt even offer a frunk, the diesel has almost all the bottom of the van free to install auxiliary fuel tank, more water, LPG litteraly all what you can.
@@MissGoElectric EV vans are severely limited by their constructions. a mercedes Sprinter van diesel has solid rear axles, can be converted to solid front axles, they can actually offroad and tow up to 7000lbs+
Great video, thank you very much , note to self(nts) watched ……
Thanks for checking it out!
Have you subscribed here and checked out our main channel?
-Producer Tim
Windows in the roll-up door would be cool in lieu of swing out doors.
A buyer can request those kinds of customizations with Grounded. They build to order.
-Producer Tim
❤❤❤❤
Thanks for watching!
-Producer Tim
GM already has a digital rear view mirror in many Models seems like an easy fix.
The GM rearview mirror may require electronic control units which are not practical for this upfit. There are dozens of excellent aftermarket solutions which can fit the bill if OEM solutions are not optimal. Thanks for sharing your perspective. -Producer Tim
2025 SALUTE 🫡 GM bright drop for your new G2 electric RV development . I’m so Glad that your company is America 🇺🇸 manufactured looking Fwd. too, my purchase …
Go-green
The van is built in Canada but the upfit is done in Detroit.
Thanks for watching!
-Producer Tim
This is very cool
What's your favorite attribute?
-Producer Tim
@MissGoElectric customization
I was so invested until that $195,000 price tag was mentioned.......
Have you seen any other new AWD 24ft Class B motorhome at a lower price with a comparable feature set including solar and on board generator?
-Producer Tim
Love it, absolutely the future of RV.
The four wheel drive system is mighty attractive to those of us living in cold climates!
Thank you for watching and commenting :) Please consider sharing this link online so others can learn what you've learned.
-Producer Tim
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
195K
Have you seen any comparably loaded brand new 24ft Class B motorhome at a lower price? If so, share a link.
-Producer Tim
Only $195,000 wow!!!
How do you think this price compares to 24ft internal combustion campervans?
-Producer Tim
@@MissGoElectric
Good review👍
I dont think it is about comparison to an ICE. Its about the price you pay for what you get after the cost of the Van. Over a 100K to get the interior down up -- a very nice done up but 100K. I guess its more about about quality over quantity and this is not a big market. Hey, if you have the money and you like - go for it.
Cheers
not a practical price
Darn it! HELP! What's the trophy he's carrying around the ENTIRE video?
Coffee is a popular morning beverage in the USA.
-Producer Tim
Why in the world do manufacturers have limitations like 120kw peak on DC? I think EV's should 250kw minimum, but anything newer should be more.
While we agree that "faster is better" we also understand why it is sensible for automakers to design and engineer for the rule rather than the exception.
Cost management and common use-case are reasons why this EV might take 5-15 minutes larger to DC fast charge than other vehicles with 150+kWh of battery capacity. Thermal management of huge packs requires a lot of hardware.
Chevy BrightDrop (commercial fleet) vans will probably be charged outside of business hours via Level2 (AC) 95-99% of the time. These vans have the longest range on the US market and will likely outrun most delivery worker shift durations on a single charge.
-Producer Tim
I like Starlink but that is not true that you would get Internet anywhere. If it is raining or if there is an obstruction in the sky, whether it be trees, buildings or whatever then you’re connection can be intermittent or worse. so whatever campsite you’re going to or excursion, you have to make sure that you’ll have open sky as a requirement else your connectivity will be degraded.
Starlink works in the rain. Clouds do not block Starlink signal.
Starlink speeds are better with a wide open sky. Most users are impressed by how well the High-Performance Starlink model works even in the forest. The Starlink network has almost 7,000 satellites in orbit with another 32,000 planned. Unlike other satellite networks, connection options blanket the sky at all times.
-Producer Tim
Starlink is not link your old fashioned sat links
such a shame @groundedrv didnt figure out and include a bathroom module. I think working more closely with some famous vanlife designers would elevate their interior innovations. A white and black version should also be possible. The wood is dated and does not cater for international markets....
Bathroom module illustrations were shown and discussed in this video. Each van is custom with countless possible configurations.
Go to their web site to learn more about the bathrooms. Contact them to order a custom layout and choose the materials which you prefer
Grounded RV is a startup which has built fewer than 20 RVs so far. The first delivery was about a year ago.
Serving the entire globe is not a year-one task.
-Producer Tim
is wood modern again? interesting. The grays and whites in other RVs are getting old :)
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
-Producer Tim
Lots of good things in this van for sure but please 😖 not a rooftop ac system. There are other systems that are way more efficient and silent than those energy hogs even the latest and greatest one that came out not long ago.
I don’t see the AC on the roof with the solar panels in the video.
Hide the water hookup.
Make the passenger seat more comfortable for long hauls; captain chair or at least some armrests if nothing else.
A solution for a laptop support on the passenger side is a must. Tons of people work up front.
The back rollup door is nice but wasted space since you can’t have anything permanently attached to it like small storage without everything falling out. Maybe use the T-track system for a storage solution also?
Is GM gathering and selling the vehicle’s data or is it locked?There is a growing concern with that and insurance premiums going up and a class action lawsuit is ongoing.
Heat pump climate control hardware is the MOST energy efficient technology available for this application.
The van depicted is very early. Current builds contain many improvements, many of which are mentioned in this video.
Eventually, we'll create a deeper dive review of a G2 example which is representative of their latest builds.
-Producer Tim
@ Yes, heat pumps are certainly the best solution for this application but not all heat pumps are created equal. I’m an HVAC engineer and can tell you that those rooftop RV systems are not efficient at all. My point was that there are other types of HP that are much more efficient and quiet than these.
Looks like the Rivian that Amazon uses..
They are direct competitors. -Producer Tim
The range is only 270 miles, so you would get around 200. I would wait until technology improves to buy one. But this is a great start. You would have to do a lot of charging, if you’re going on long distance trip, especially in cold weather the range would be worse.
In real life Sam personally attested on camera to achieving greater than 300 miles on a single charge in the G2 in this video.
Your emphatic speculation that 200 is the real world limit is unfounded.
-Producer Tim
@ All EV dealers exaggerate the range and online it says the range is 270 miles and having an EV for 3 years similar range and weighing less, I seriously doubt you’re getting 300 miles of range. Maybe going mph, in an empty van, in the spring and not using AC. 🙄
Dealers do not have any flexibility regarding the representation of EV range. Those figures are set by US Government standards. Sam made it clear that General Motor's range estimate is based on 50% maximum load weight. He said that the G2 is near that figure.
He was was very specific stating that he personally has exceed 300 miles of real world range several times in the fully upfitted van pictured in this video. Are you suggesting that the CEO of the company, would risk misrepresentation the product on camera?
To our knowledge, the G2 is the longest range 24ft electric RV available in North America. -Producer Tim
Maybe. Sometime in the far distant future. There is no technology in existence or even the foreseeable future that makes this practical. We don't have the infrastructure to support all of the proposed EV's and there is at present no serious proposals to fortify the electrical grid in this country that is necessary to be able to sustain them! This can't possibly do what my Class A diesel pusher motorhome can do, so I'll just keep it, thanks.
It would be insightful if it were true. Unfortunately your comment is based upon misinformation.
Unfortunately, there are no electric Class A options today. Supersized RVers will have to settle for lower reliability, less power, high fuel costs, and expensive maintenance for a few more years.
-Producer Tim
How tall is Sam?
For scale: Miss GoElectric is about 6'1" in this video.
-Producer Tim
Why not use incinerator toilet
We didn't question their decision.
-Producer Tim
Storage looks to be the main issue.
Did you see the dozens of modules (including storage) which we showed in the animations?
Do other 24ft Class B motorhomes have more storage capability and customization? If so, what enables that capacity?
-Producer Tim
This guys carelessness with the coffee cup drives me nuts.
Each year we publish a video in which a coffee cup is at the center of controversy.
How do you like the RV?
-Producer Tim
See the comments section of this Ford F150 Lightning assembly line tour in which MGE carries a cup of coffee the whole time:
ua-cam.com/video/o5tqlXc2qdo/v-deo.html
yea it just felt disrespectful to you as the interviewer. As absurd as it sounds I wasn’t interested in the company because of that 😂. I did look up the GM platform separately though.
Now future videos you’ll see it coming. You can say “ keep your coffee if you’d like but the viewers are going to have opinions.
Why do they keep saying GM? Did they partner with GM, I’m missing something…
At the start of this video, Miss GoElectric and Sam go into detail about the Chevy BrightDrop van platform upon which Grounded builds.
-Producer Tim
@ don’t gotta be fiesty
Sleeping right on top of a 4000 lb. battery just waiting to go into thermal runaway with no warning whatsoever? I'll take a giant pass on that!
Your comment is based on obsolete data or misinformation.
Thermal runaway with LFP chemistry is basically impossible. That is what RVs, stationary storage, and many EVs use these days.
Sleeping on a tank of explosive gasoline is about 60x more dangerous.
-Producer Tim
www.recurrentauto.com/research/lfp-battery-in-your-next-ev-tesla-and-others-say-yes
Yea, I wouldn't want to sleep over 25 gallons of explosive liquid either.
Ace the star link and I am in. I have no desire to let Elon know where I am.
Deleting a feature is easy. -Producer Tim
They can be done without it. Grounded's whole schtick is that the whole thing is customizable
Why are American products so crude. Look at those mirrors. Massive chunky things just waiting to get ripped off.
In Europe that van would be equipped with cameras all round. As for having a reversing camera as an option. They’ve been standard for 10 years in Europe.
On average, there are 2.5x more deaths per mile of traffic driving in the USA compared to Europe. Safety regulations here aim to improve that. We have more roadways, larger roadways, and higher top speeds (on average) compared with Europe. Our vehicles are larger, with more inertia. Safety is more important than aesthetics to policymakers here in the USA. At the time of publishing, it is illegal for an automaker to replace side mirrors with a camera. -Producer Tim
www.motorbiscuit.com/virtual-mirrors-thing-uk-why-not-us/
www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-11-03/why-us-traffic-safety-fell-so-far-behind-other-countries
120kw charge speed? Ouch.
It doesn't hurt. Have you seen the charging curve?
-Producer Tim