The idea of completely solar-powered campers has intrigued me beyond comprehension for a long time now, and this compact house on wheels has got me super excited. Designed by the visionary Solar Team from TU Eindhoven, the solar-powered camper is all ready to embark on an adventurous 3,000 km trip through the European landscape later this month.
Christened the Stella Vita, the curvacious camper is the work of 22 student team at the prestigious university in the Netherlands. Unlike other solar-powered house on wheels, that rely for the most part on external electric power, this one is purely powered by the sun’s energy without any external assistance. It’s made possible with the 8.8-meter square solar array on top of the roof – capable of generating power for the 60-kWh battery. In the parked mode the slide-out panels span out for an impressive canopy area of 17.5 meters square. To add to the goodness, the pop-up roof expands the vertical area for two people to move around comfortably. They can cook comfortably in the kitchen or take a shower too with this feature.
There’s no need for charging infrastructure, thereby making this house on wheels a completely self-sustainable rig. The driver can keep a track of all the energy stats courtesy of the center display. To bring an element of airiness to the interior, there are two large doors behind the cabin to let sunlight and fresh air inside. These fold-out panels double as a shade for people who are seated outside. On the inside, there is everything from an L-shaped bench seating that also functions as storage, compact dining table, shelving, cabinet and sleeping section to make the road trip feel like home for a couple. The team has also incorporated a TV and coffee machine.
Stella Vita can travel a distance of around 450 miles in one day on average and on fully charged batteries on a bright sunny day it can touch 370 miles by the nighttime. The camper is ready for the tour kicking-off from Eindhoven on September 19, and then heading south through Zolder toward Brussels for a pit stop. Thereafter, the solar camper will make way to Paris, Le Mans, Bordeaux, Biarritz, Zaragoza, Madrid, Toledo, and Córdoba. The adventurous journey will finally make a stop in Tarifa, Spain on October 15!
Designer: TU Eindhoven
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