I still can’t figure out why Tesla hasn’t released an all electric camper with solar panels and starlink built in specifically aimed at digital nomads. It’s a massive missed opportunity. They could literally release the vehicle that defines an entire generation and movement the same way the VW Campervan was the defining vehicle of the 60s.
Tesla can't even release two cars they promised and already designed - Cybertruck and Roadster. Semi, announced in 2017 just started shipping in limited quantities. They can't ramp up production fast enough for the cars they are already producing to satisfy demand. There is no way they have capacity to work on a van in addition to that.
P.S. But, but they have time to work on "humanoid robot"?
I believe this is because most folks who fancy themselves as vanlifers want to fulfill the idea of going off the grid, of disconnecting from infrastructure for a while. Electric doesn't really allow that because solar won't allow for fast enough charging to compete with petrol. It's also very easy to bring along a couple jerry cans of gas to extend range, whereas with solar one would have to park and wait.
Anecdotally, all of the "trendy outdoors type" I see with expensive kitted-out vehicles are from California who blast into the wilderness as fast as possible to get back home before the weekend is over.
Haha fair enough then, my perception has probably been warped by the media into thinking the majority of digital nomads were relatively easy going hippie 2.0 types
I think a large electric RV would work well. Large ones are as spacious as an apartment, with dual bathrooms, washer/dryer, outside tv and more. Running a generator is a pain, and all-electric with decent batteries would make it silent.
That said, the market is very small/niche.
They could go the way that all the other companies go -- release a chassis for manufacturers to build on.
Yes they're not going to make as much money selling camper vans as the regular car models but, as I said, you have the opportunity to create the iconic vehicle of the decade. That does absolute wonders for your brand and would be a nice boost considering other vehicle manufacturers are now starting to catch up and even overtake them in certain areas (f150 lightning). People still think VW Campers are cool today and they still sell for silly amounts of money. You can't underestimate the value of this kind of thing; part of the reason Tesla has got the market cap it's got today is because Musk played the brand image card so well in the early days.
If Tesla could convince a few big name surfers and other extreme athletes to use them plus a few high profile digital nomads they'd be absolutely laughing to the bank. They could also use the same chassis for a panel van like the Transit and Sprinter which would be something that would make them a ton of money.
Thanks for elaborating. It is a compelling idea, but if the goal is to create an iconic vehicle, there are many different options. A campervan is one, I’d say cybertruck is another.
They're inching that way, especially with Starlink, but EVs don't do well driving off-road with a lot of weight, especially into remote areas without charging infrastructure nearby. I was hoping my next vehicle would be this concept, but there's a way to go to get there.
Electric Camper like a VW Buzz, I think that’s a niche market. Still profitable, but you can sell higher priced things like the Tesla Roadster 2 way faster.
