Best LightShip Tow Vehicle?

[turbopilot]

Many of us considering the LightShip have been trying to crunch the information available to match the best tow vehicle with the unique capabilities of the LightShip. As LightShip started they were focused on returning as much range as possible to an EV towing the LightShip. Their solution was to come up with a 2X solution to range anxiety: great aerodynamic drag reduction and a self propelled battery drive assist. Both contribute more or less equally to returning an EV to it's original range.

But then it was discovered the same relative efficiencies were available to both HEV's and gas/diesel ICE vehicles. Everyone wants better efficiency towing an RV and LightShip delivers this economy to any type of tow vehicle.

Once tow vehicle efficiency is established some newer tow vehicle candidates came along with a new feature that is just what a LightShip needs: a high output inverter based generator. This feature is present in the Ford Lightning EV truck (9.6 kW) and the Ford PowerBoost HEV F-150 (7.2 kW).

While the LightShip has a big 77 kWh battery (biggest RV battery on the market) and 1.8 kWh solar assist, it is an electric RV with a big appetite for electricity. Everything runs on electricity in this RV including propulsion. So while the LightShip has a big battery it also uses a lot of electricity. The advent of inverter based generators in EV and HEV tow vehicle trucks answers that need.

But now a new category of EV truck is getting ready to hit the market: the EREV (extended-range electric vehicle) tow vehicle. RAM has been pushing the much delayed RamCharger EREV for years. Some suggestion it may be available by the end of the year but it has slipped so many times, who knows.

Now we know Ford may be joining the EREV market with a just leaked spy photo of a Lightning EREV being tested in Arizona. No information on this new model is available, but if it is like the RamCharger it will have a normally aspirated, constant speed engine attached to a high output generator in the frunk that will support the truck and trailer at normal cruise speed assisted by the battery.

For the LightShip these new EREV's appear to be a perfect solution.They will normally cruise on a battery, even towing, but when the EREV or the LightShip battery needs to be charged the EREV can do that to at the same time with the stand alone ICE generator in the frunk outputting through an inverter. No need to visit a charge station. The RamCharger has a 26 gallon fuel tank enough to give the RamCharge a total battery plus gasoline range of 700 miles.

The LightShip and EREV's appear to be a unique point of convergent technology coming to the market about the same time.