Electric Powered Trailer - Airstream

Jebby14 wrote:
so its going to be a motorhome but the toad goes in front and I ride in it?

Hilarious. World is getting complicated..

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
This will be a good complement to my Cybertruck extending it's range further.

Airstream Electric Powered Trailer

Here’s an Airstream vehicle, it’s autonomous, it powers itself, you go to bed at night and you wake up and you’re at Yosemite.” Of course, it remains to be seen whether that level of autonomy will actually ever become a reality.
/ quote

Im beting never
Get back to reality Airstream

ShinerBock wrote:
It appears that this will not have its own battery(since they talk about making it lighter) and will rely on power from the tow vehicles in order to operate the electric engines. If this is the case, then it will not extend the range of a BEV since both the trailer and BEV are using the same power source to move the combined weight. It would, however, assist an ICE vehicle since it does not rely on battery power to travel down the the road and can also make enough energy to power these electric engines at the same time.

I was wondering about this as well, since there was no mention of battery capacity. I would think that if the trailer did not have its own battery of at least 50 KwH, it would have the effect of drastically shortening the combo's range. Come to think of it, it would almost have to have its own battery. Suppose the trailer's electric "engine" (lol) was similar to the 80KW motor used in the Nissan Leaf. I would think that would be about the minimum size motor required to propel the weight and aerodynamic drag of the Airstream at speed. You would have to engineer a plug/coupling that could handle 400 volts at around 200 amps. Since physics is what it is, that's a hefty plug. Now I'm wondering how they make a trailer lighter while adding a motor and battery.... :?

BenK wrote:
Why bother...just put on VR goggles, sit down in front of your 9.2 stereo system cranked up and not worry about MPG, speed up steep inclines, backing up, passing semi's and worrying about making it to the next station...

Sadly that is probably the future, similar to the Holadeck on Star Trek.

It appears that this will not have its own battery(since they talk about making it lighter) and will rely on power from the tow vehicles in order to operate the electric engines. If this is the case, then it will not extend the range of a BEV since both the trailer and BEV are using the same power source to move the combined weight. It would, however, assist an ICE vehicle since it does not rely on battery power to travel down the the road and can also make enough energy to power these electric engines at the same time.

Why bother...just put on VR goggles, sit down in front of your 9.2 stereo system cranked up and not worry about MPG, speed up steep inclines, backing up, passing semi's and worrying about making it to the next station...

Just think if the truck in control is completely autonomous you could ride in the trailer sitting in your LazyBoy watching tv. The rig could set itself up and you could have a camping experience without ever leaving your chair or deal with that pesky human contact. When your done it could drive itself back home and put itself away.:B

Iraqvet05 wrote:
You wouldn't need a 7.3 if this idea actually works. A NA 4 cylinder in a vehicle that can handle the tongue weight of an Airstream can be used. I believe the idea here is the trailer won't put any towing load on the tow vehicle. I assume (like my Traxass electric RC truck) the trailer braking would also controlled by the motor and speed controller. I can see this technology helping tremendously when towing in strong head winds, at higher elevations and up steep grades.

Not much different then unmanned locomotive engines controled by the maned lead locomotive on trains.

Iraqvet05 wrote:
You wouldn't need a 7.3 if this idea actually works. A NA 4 cylinder in a vehicle that can handle the tongue weight of an Airstream can be used. I believe the idea here is the trailer won't put any towing load on the tow vehicle. I assume (like my Traxass electric RC truck) the trailer braking would also controlled by the motor and speed controller. I can see this technology helping tremendously when towing in strong head winds, at higher elevations and up steep grades.

I think this is the idea.

Jebby14 wrote:
so its going to be a motorhome but the toad goes in front and I ride in it?

It doesn't matter really.

Just that the problem is that the EV Airstream is autonomous. So you might end up separating somewhere should it decide on a different route.