Are Electric Motorhomes The Future? Exploring The Pros & Cons

In 2030, the UK government is set to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, with electric cars, vans and motorhomes and more due to become the norm. With this change being just a few years away, leisure vehicle manufacturers are starting to manoeuvre their thinking away from diesel engines and toward electric motorhome options.

While electric cars (also known as EV cars) have been popularised by the likes of Tesla, Volkswagen and Ford in recent years, electrifying the world of motorhomes comes with its own set of challenges. As motorhome experts, providing customers across the country with the finest new motorhomes available on the market, we’re well-informed to be talking about what the future of EV motorhomes holds.

Selling quality motorhomes certainly isn’t the only thing that we do either, offering a range of excellent leisure vehicles, including exemplary campervans and outstanding caravans to suit any kind of customer. If you’re looking for something a little more affordable, but just as quality, explore our second-hand motorhomes, impeccable used caravans and pre-loved campervans online.

While EV motorhomes are not yet available on the market as of spring 2025, this blog will delve into exactly what the future of the industry looks like.

What is an EV?

First things first, let’s get into what an EV vehicle actually is. As we’ve established, EV stands for ‘Electric Vehicle’ and is distinctly different from a traditional petrol/diesel-powered vehicle in that electricity drives the motors. These types of vehicles are charged from an external power source instead of being refuelled and are favoured for their cheaper running costs and environmental benefits.

What types of EVs are there?

An EV is actually an umbrella term for a collection of vehicles, with there being slight variations in how each one operates. The different types of EVs include:

• Battery electric vehicle (BEV): The most common type of EV, a BEV is a vehicle that features an electric motor powered by an internal battery that can be recharged at an external power source.
• Plug-in hybrid (PHEV): This type of EV uses both electricity and conventional fuel, with the former powering the motor and the latter, the engine. The battery is charged with an external power source.
• Hybrid (HEV): HEVs are the same as PHEVs, except for the fact that they use regenerative braking to recharge the battery while on the move, removing the need for plug-in charging.
• Mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEV): Often wrongly labelled as Hybrid vehicles, MHEVs feature a far smaller battery pack, which means they can’t ever be run 100% on electricity and are still reliant on a traditional engine.
• Range-extended electric vehicle (RE-EV): Allowing you to travel further than an HEV, a RE-EV contains a small petrol/diesel engine that produces electricity which is used to recharge the battery. The electric motor is constantly driving the wheels.
• Hydrogen vehicle (FCEV): This is the most cutting-edge type of EV, mixing hydrogen with oxygen to create electricity. Refuelling takes mere minutes, but the technology is currently very expensive.

The pros and cons of an electric motorhome

Electric vehicles have integrated into the world of traditional cars with relative ease, with 2024 enjoying the best year for EV sales, seeing 381,970 being sold in the UK. But buying an electric motorhome remains an impossibility, largely due to the hurdles involved in their manufacture, including challenges when it comes to weight and manoeuvrability. Change may take time, too, considering the lack of charging infrastructure and the sheer cost it would take to implement all this new technology.

Therefore, as we await their arrival in the leisure vehicle market, with the best motorhome brands working on their manufacture, it’s time to weigh up their pros and cons.

The positives of electric motorhomes

Cost efficient

Depending on your domestic energy plan and the type of EV you own, the cost of charging an electric car can be anywhere between 1p and 10p per mile, equating to a rough saving of £1,200 a year. What’s more, sometimes you can take advantage of free-to-use EV points situated at supermarkets and other locations, decreasing your total expenditure.

Environmental benefits

When a petrol engine is used on the road, a cocktail of harmful chemicals is released into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and benzene. In fact, using an electric car on the road for one year saves an average of 1.5 million grams of CO2. Therefore, switching to an EV motorhome once it becomes available will allow you to escape to the country with the peace of mind that you’re keeping your carbon footprint to a minimum.

Smooth simplicity

The vast majority of EVs are automatic, not manual, meaning a smoother, simpler drive. Enjoy instant acceleration without the need to use any gears or clutch pedals. But these effortless benefits don’t just stop there. If you’re looking for a quiet, peaceful retreat, then the limited noise that EVs create would also contribute to making a tranquil camping experience.

The negatives of electric motorhomes

Poor range

A major drawback of electric motorhomes is the limited range a full charge can provide. As the technology improves, so will the efficiency of vehicle batteries, but, at the moment, the electric battery of a motorhome is only capable of taking drivers approximately 150 miles. When considering the long distances motorhome owners like to drive, this means stopping multiple times, and that’s if you can find a charging station in a remote location!

Charging time

Charging the battery of a standard EV car from empty can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 36 hours, with this being dependent on the size of the battery and the efficiency of the charging point. Yet, this calculation is based on EV cars, so you can expect motorhomes to be toward the top of this scale (if not beyond), thanks to the size of the battery that would need to be required.

Higher initial cost

Traditional motorhomes can be expensive, but EV motorhomes would cost considerably more thanks to the complex materials involved in the manufacturing process. The electrical systems involved in the creation of EV motorhomes would involve expensive lithium-ion batteries and other cutting-edge technologies that would make them a far more expensive initial investment.

So, what’s the verdict on electric motorhomes?

To summarise our thoughts on the future of electric motorhomes, one of our very own experts… says: 

“With the imminent ban on the manufacturing of new petrol/diesel motorhomes coming in 2030, the move to EV motorhomes is certainly an inevitability. The road to perfecting their manufacture, however, is due to be complex. Motorhomes are complicated road vehicles, including an internal plumbing system and a network of electricals, with more than just forward trajectory to worry about.” 

“While companies across the world, such as Baileys, Dethleffs and THOR, strive to innovate with inventive concept models, there’s still a long way to go until we start to see EV motorhomes for sale across the world. One of the main reasons for this is the sheer power that motorhomes consume during a trip, with large, heavy batteries needing considerable charge.”

“The need for vast innovation doesn’t just go for the manufacturers either, with considerable changes in infrastructure being needed before EV motorhomes can become commonplace. For efficient electric motorhome driving across the country, campsites and service stations would require the installation of fast chargers that would eliminate the need for long, arduous waiting periods.”

What EV motorhomes are currently available?

As it’s still a new technology, most EV motorhomes on the market are merely concept models and are not yet made for widespread consumption. One such innovation is the American-made THOR Vision Vehicle, which is powered by a high-voltage battery pack and integrated fuel cell, allowing for an impressive range of 300 miles.

Over in Germany, Dethleffs has also created a futuristic e.home that’s covered on all sides by solar panels that help power the battery. Just a concept model at the time of writing, this promising creation includes a plush interior that offers endless technological features for its users. But, since it’s not yet available for purchase, the Dethleffs’ e.home simply paints a fascinating picture of what the future of motorhome travel may look like.

A little closer to home, British manufacturer Baileys of Bristol has offered one of the most realistic examples of what EV motorhome travel may look like in the near future. The company’s Endeavour EV concept model is based on Ford’s E-Transit platform, is made with low-carbon recycled materials and even features cutting-edge technology like a voice-controlled lighting system.

The future of EV motorhomes

The government has already begun phasing out the manufacture of new petrol and diesel vehicles, declaring in a written statement to parliament: “No new petrol or diesel cars will be sold after 2030. All new cars and vans will need to be 100% zero emission by 2035”. In fact, the only fossil fuel-burning vehicles that can be sold new after 2030 are PHEVs.

Therefore, the future of electric motorhome manufacturing is incredibly bright, with it soon becoming a legal requirement for all new motorhomes to be EVs. Yet, customers may find that the price they pay for new motorhomes will rise considerably since EV manufacturing still costs considerably more than petrol/diesel alternatives.

Why is this change happening?

This law is being introduced in order to fulfil the government’s aim for cleaner, quieter and more eco-friendly streets. Hoping to contribute to the clean energy mission, the transition to EV vehicles will drastically reduce carbon emissions and allow the UK to become a leader in cutting-edge electric technology. While this may seem like an expensive change for customers, EVs are cheaper to run and far simpler to maintain in the long run.

Looking for a new motorhome? Contact Spinney

The world of EV motorhomes is an exciting area of automotive research and development, and with Spinney, you can keep up to date with any industry changes thanks to our news and blog page. Experts in the field of motorhomes, campervans, caravans and beyond, we’re well-equipped to help you with any questions you may have.

Stocking the very best cutting-edge motorhomes from across the industry, including from such outstanding British manufacturers as Auto-Trail, Bailey, Coachman, Elddis and Swift, we can find you the vehicle to transform your holiday. We don’t just sell British brands, either, with other exemplary motorhomes from Adria and Roller Team also available.

Here for our customers, not only do we provide excellent new and used vehicles, but we also help to protect your purchase for the future, too. Enjoy our professional servicing options to keep your vehicle running smoothly and explore our accessories for sale to elevate your holidays, including awnings, caravan toilets and much more.

Still not sure whether we’re the dealership for you? Take a browse through our over 1000 5-star reviews on Trustpilot to discover a range of different customers who have each been delighted to put their trust in us…