Curious campers

Anyone who has always wanted to have their own flying contraption can now finally fulfil their dream: While the BeTriton from the Latvian start-up Zeltini may not have a flight function, it can take to the road and the water with equal ease – and is fully electric into the bargain. This tricycle is a cross between an e-bike, a houseboat and a camper in which two people can spend the night. While you are pedalling away on land, the electric motor will support you over a distance of up to 100 kilometres. On water, the BeTriton claims to be able to cover 30 kilometres. Solar panels on the roof fill the battery with power as you move. The start-up plans to deliver the first units this year for a purchase price of 14,500 euros. The do-it-yourself variant will cost 5,500 euros and is scheduled to follow in 2024. In both models, the maximum speed is limited to 25 kilometres per hour when pedalling. The BeTriton is therefore considered a pedelec and may be driven without a licence, in Germany at least.

With a tank full of sunshine, let’s head off southwards: This is the vision of the solar team at TU Eindhoven. Stella Vita is the name of the concept for an electric motorhome with a solar roof which was developed by a group of Dutch students. As an energy-self-sufficient house on wheels, it claims to offer enough space for two adults and boasts a range of up to 730 kilometres on sunny days – thanks to large solar panels, lightweight construction and aerodynamic design. By the way, the panels can be folded out, doubling the solar panel area to 17.5 square metres. The idea is for the camper to generate enough electricity for its occupants to drive, shower, watch TV, make coffee and charge a laptop. On cloudy days, of course, you can head for a charging station. The prototype is not designed for possible mass production. Rather, the students see their work as generating impetus to warm up both the industrial sector and consumers to the solar principle. They have already proved that the 3,000-kilometer trip from Eindhoven to southern Spain can be done on solar power alone.

Whether they be snow-covered slopes in Lapland, across the Gobi Desert or the Kazakh steppe, those places where the wheels of ordinary motorhomes quickly start spinning helplessly are where Unicat’s expedition vehicles get going. For over 30 years, the company in Baden-Württemberg has been building all-terrain vehicles for well-heeled globetrotters who want to make their trips to all corners of the world as comfortable as possible. From the outside, the Unicat MD56c MAN TGS 6×6 may look like an army transporter. Inside, however, the 530 hp, 20-tonne truck is lined with elegant ship’s flooring made of teak. The kitchen is equipped with an oven with a microwave and a fridge-freezer, as well as a dishwasher. The toilet is, of course, made of porcelain, and the spacious shower comes with a towel dryer. A wet central heating system keeps things pleasant inside even when the outside temperature plunges to arctic levels. And the spring-loaded and ventilated double bed with comfort mattress can also be heated. One special extra is the lowerable loading platform at the rear, on which a small four-wheel drive vehicle or two motorcycles can be accommodated for excursions. If you would like one of these chunky adventurers, you’ll have to pay 1.4 million euros before tax. The significant freedom it offers obviously comes at a price.