The eStream is a concept… for now. Photo: YouTube/Airstream
Airstreams have long been the coolest trailer on the market. The classically designed silver bullet of a home-on-wheels is moving into the future with a greener eye. The company just announced the newest addition to the fleet: the eStream. Using technology from the burgeoning electric vehicle market, the eStream is just a concept… for now.
According to Bob Wheeler, the aptly-named CEO of Airstream, the concept trailer is a glimpse into the future of not only Airstream trailers, but the entire RV industry. “Everything that’s packed in the eStream won’t make sense for the market as is,” he said at a press event showcasing the trailer. “But there are so many threads; so much can come out of this that will find its way in the future.”
The eStream comes equipped with a roof covered in solar panels and a large bank of dual batteries. If reports are to be believed, it can stay entirely off the grid for weeks. The shape of the trailer was overhauled, too, with a few inches of width taken off and a handful of vents and other bulging features scrapped. The solar panels are built right into the roof, as well, instead of the usual method where they’re bolted on. The new version is 20 percent more aerodynamic than its predecessors.
Since RVs are generally a little too cumbersome for an electric vehicle to tow any considerable distance, the eStream boasts an electric-motor driven axle, which assists the towing vehicle in shouldering the weight. As anyone who’s dragged a trailer into a narrow camp site can attest, one of the worst parts is backing into a spot. The designers of the eStream created an interesting feature to combat that: the thing can be driven short distances using a phone.
“That’s a pain point we hope we can just simply eliminate and we’ll save a lot of marriages with this product,” said McKay Featherstone, Airstream’s vice president of product development and engineering.
Generally, RVs need to be plugged into campground outlets to run most of the features. An alternative is to use propane to run a fridge, A/C unit, and other appliances, but that only lasts so long. The eStream, however, can be charged via plugin and also relies on the solar panels to run every appliance included. It also boasts a regenerative braking system that helps keep the batteries charged while driving.
“It’s going to help customers go wherever they want to go and to stay there as long as they wish,” Featherstone continued. “You could literally stay off grid for weeks if you wanted to.”
While there’s no word yet on when the eStream might become available to those with deep enough pockets — it’s certainly not going to be cheap — it’s a glimpse into the future of what life on the road might look like.
