Electric vehicles are steadily making their way into all areas of transportation. There is no denying that EVs have come a long way, and automakers are constantly innovating and improving their performance. Off-roading and overlanding electric vehicles still occupy a small niche in the automotive market, and although regular campers are a little jittery about their capabilities, there are some examples that are impressive and come with useful utilities to enable campers to survive the great outdoors for long periods of time. Some features of great off-roading electric vehicles include; good ground clearance, a powerful powertrain to provide energy for movement and camping utilities, and an assortment of camping and off-roading features. The electric vehicles on this list have one or a combination of these features that make them stand out as great off-roading models.
10 Rivian R1T
Rivian’s flagship pickup truck, the R1T boasts great features to make it a capable frequent overlanding and camping vehicle. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup can produce 600 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, enabling the vehicles to have a towing capacity of 11000 pounds. This is perfect for those who want to bring along their camper trailers. The R1T is also off-road capable with a water-wading depth of about three feet and a maximum ground clearance of 14.9 inches. Perhaps what sets the R1T apart from the other models is its diverse range of utilities. The front truck, under-seat compartments, the truck bed and the gear tunnel, give the R1T a total storage space of 62 cubic feet. The truck bed is fitted with an air compressor and two 120 volts outlets. As an option, R1T owners can also get a camp kitchen package. Rivian says that the package enables R1T users to prepare complete meals wherever they are.
9 GMC Hummer EV
The original Hummer was a reliable military vehicle capable of maneuvering the toughest terrains. Its DNA is alive and well in the new Hummer EV. The Hummer has the largest battery fitted in any production electric vehicle with about 212 kilowatt-hours. It has 1,000 horsepower and just over 700 pound-feet of torque. The electric vehicle has a towing capacity of just over 7,000 pounds and 81 cubic feet of storage space. The large battery can power auxiliary appliances like air compressors, heaters, lighting fixtures, and small kitchen appliances, and still have enough power for a return trip back to civilization. The truck bed is wide enough to fit a mattress setup for two people. The independent long-travel air suspension makes the ride comfortable even on the most unforgiving of back roads. 300 miles of range and the suspension setup make for an enjoyable, anxiety-free overlanding experience. Roof cross rails for carrying bikes and kayaks, a 50-inch off-road light bar for scouting trails come as optional camping accessories.
8 Hyundai Ioniq 5
The Ioniq 5 is the unlikely vehicle on this list, but it has some interesting features that make it a worthy camping electric vehicle. Hyundai has a feature in the Ioniq 5 called ‘Utility Mode’. This mode allows you to utilize some of the vehicle’s features when the car is off. This includes charging ports, air conditioning, and even radio. If you are camping and choose to sleep in your Ioniq 5, these are the most likely features you would use. But the car is turned off and the doors are locked to prevent unwarranted access to the vehicle. The Ioniq 5 is also a deceptively large hatchback with a wheelbase of 118 inches, which is close enough to equate it to a standard mid-size crossover. This means that there is plenty of usable room in the cabin especially when the rear seats are folded down. YouTube channel EV and Chill made a video comparing the Ioniq 5 and the Model Y when camping. In an average sleep time of nine hours, the Ioniq 5’s Utility Mode only used about eight-percent of battery power, and that roughly translated to about 10 miles of range lost. This is very impressive considering that the standard battery has a range of over 200 miles and the long-range rear-wheel drive model has about 300 miles of total range. You can comfortably camp in your Ioniq 5 for several days without having range anxiety.
7 Fisker Ocean SUV
Fisker Ocean is an electric SUV from Fisker – the same company that brought us the Fisker Karma. The company has gone through a little bit of a rebrand and is leaning towards an electric future. Its latest installment, the Fisker Ocean, has generated a lot of buzz in the electric automotive community because of its refreshing design and impressive spec sheet. The vehicle’s wide stance and ground clearance will make it manageable on un-tarmacked roads. The Fisker Ocean Extreme model (which is the one you’d want to have if you are a frequent off-roader) has an all-wheel-drive system that produces an impressive 550 horsepower and a total of 350 miles of range. The vehicle is also fitted with what Fisker calls the ‘SolarSky’ panel. Essentially, the roof panel of the car is made of solar panels. Fisker says that the Panels can add up to 1,500 miles of range in a year and up to 2,000 miles in optimal conditions. Ideally, you can camp for weeks in the Fisker Ocean.
6 Ford F-150 Lightning
The original Ford F-150 is one of America’s most reliable and beloved pick-up trucks. Ford is hoping that the Lightning will be no different. When the F-150 Lightning debuted, it received positive reviews from car reviewers and enthusiasts. The front trunk of the Lightning has 14 cubic feet of space and can carry a load of up to 400 pounds. The Lighting can act as a power bank with multiple front and back outlets that can be used to power and charge appliances and electronic camping gear. When fully charged, the F-150 Lighting's battery can power a standard American home for at least three days. So, it can comfortably handle a weekend overlanding expedition. The standard model has a 230-mile range with 450 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque, but the extended battery range model (which is the one you should opt for if you are a frequent overlander) has a 320-mile range and 580 horsepower. This model also has independent rear suspension for a smoother ride and that should make it handle better on uneven terrain. Ford advises against installing sliding campers on the trunk of the F-150 lightning, but you can still get great aftermarket camping installations from Four-Wheel Campers and GRT Off-road.
5 Tesla Model Y
Tesla actively encourages owners of their vehicles to take their cars out for camping. Like the Ioniq 5, Teslas have a dedicated feature for staying in the great outdoors called “Camp Mode'’. This lets you use battery power for air conditioning, charging, mood lighting, and music while sleeping in the cabin. The Model Y has a usable space measuring 68 inches long and 38 inches wide once the rear seats have been folded down. This is enough to place a mattress comfortable enough for two people with an average height of less than six feet tall. Camp Mode is also available in the Model 3. In the camping test by EV and Chill, the Model Y’s Camp Mode used 10-percent of battery power which roughly translates to a 30 miles range loss. The test by EV and Chill included using charging and air conditioning for nine hours to imitate the average sleep time. Although not as impressive as the Ionic 5, a 10-percent usage of battery power is still good enough for a weekend of camping. In Europe, companies like Dreamcase fit the Model Y and Model 3 with excellent aftermarket camping accessories.
4 Canoo Pickup Truck
Former BMW executives are at the helm of this electric vehicle startup that will officially debut its models in 2023. Canoo, formerly Evelozcity, says that its vehicle designs are made to be “the most cab-forward and space efficient in the market with massive cargo capacity on the smallest footprint possible.” Canoo vehicles utilize space-saving technology like drive-by-wire to ensure that the cabin has as much usable space as possible. The Canoo Pickup truck has a payload capacity of up to 1,800 pounds. Like the Rivian R1T and the F-150 Lightning, the Canoo has remarkable bed space and collapsible side tables with power outlets. The electric truck also has an extended bed that increases its usable space from six feet to a fully enclosed eight feet. The vehicle is also fitted with perimeter lighting which by itself makes the Canoo pickup truck a practical vehicle for camping. The Company has a proprietary multipurpose platform architecture that allows the Canoo pickup truck to be fitted with a wide variety of camper shells for different use cases straight from the factory. We will get more information on Canoo’s camping accessories on its official debut.
3 Volkswagen ID.Buzz
The ID.Buzz is the all-electric reincarnation of Volkswagen’s most iconic bus. It has not debuted in North America just yet, but sales have already begun in Europe. There are officially two main versions of the ID.Buzz; the standard two-row version, and the three-row long-wheel version will be exclusively available in the North American market. Like its predecessor, the ID.Buzz has ample interior space thanks to its boxy rectangular shape. The three-row American version will be able to comfortably haul eight adult passengers for long journeys. For frequent outlanders, there is a cargo version of the ID.Buzz with removable seats. This leaves much of the interior space for off-road customization. The three-row American model, with the two back row seats removed, can fit a standard bed for two people and utilities like a mini-fridge. A lot more aftermarket customization options will arrive after the vehicle’s official debut in America.
2 Alpha Wolf
The Alpha Wolf+ comes from a little known American car manufacturer, Alpha Motors. There are several versions of the Alpha pickup truck; the entry-level Alpha Wolf with a single motor, rear-wheel drive system, the Alpha Wolf+ which is the sweet spot between daily driving practicality and overlanding, and the Superwolf which is the extreme version of the pickup truck dedicated to off-roading and overlanding. The Alpha Wolf+ has a duel motor all-wheel-drive setup and an 85-kilowatt-hour battery that gives between 250 and 285 miles of range. As standard, the Wolf+ gets front bumper and roof spotting lights and a rig that extends the six feet bed by several feet. From the Alpha Motors website, it seems like the company will be bringing its pickups to the market with exciting camping accessories like shovels, a tent, and what seems like a retractable solar panel.
1 Mercedes EQG
Mercedes swapped out the internal combustion engine in the G-Wagon with motors on each wheel and a battery to create the EQG. The EQG is an all-electric G-Wagen. The EQG still looks and drives like a G63, and the differences are mostly anesthetics with the EQG having a glass grill with no air intake, new wheels to improve range efficiency, and additional blue and white light fixtures to emphasize that it is an electric vehicle. Mercedes has been teasing the EQG as a “near-production study”, but has not yet presented the official spec sheet for the vehicle. Just like the Hummer EV’s crab walk party trick, the EQG has the tank turn – or G-turn - as Mercedes calls it. The SUV can position its tires to make it rotate on its own axis. Unfortunately, the SUV is still a prototype and the Supercar Blondie channel suggests that Mercedes has so far only made one EQG. Everything about its overlanding capabilities can be referenced from the conventional G-Wagon. This means a long-travel suspension, heavy-duty portal axles, and up to 13 inches of ground clearance. Companies like G-Wagon Accessories and Jack Wagon Overlanding provide excellent aftermarket camping accessories for conventional G-Wagons that can actually be fitted in the EQG. We’ll just have to wait to see if Mercedes will put the EQG into production.