- Hyundai just revealed a luxurious electric camper concept
- Its onboard solar panels power myriad accessories
- A refrigerator, shower and a double bed all feature
The Hyundai Staria is a popular sight on the streets of South Korea, used by posh taxi firms as a way of transporting business folk and VIP around in style.
Well, the space-age people carrier has just been given a modern makeover and the seven or nine-seater is destined to spread its wings outside of its domestic market with an all-electric version that is due to land in Europe at some point this year.
To celebrate this fact, Hyundai recently took the wraps off a Staria Camper Concept at the CMT (Caravan, Motor und Touristik) trade fair in Stuttgart.
Pushing the limits of the term Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV), the luxurious camper is arguably one of the moist stylish ways to live off grid, featuring a fully integrated, powered pop-up roof that allows occupants to comfortably walk around the cabin.
This is essential, given the fact that the concept also contains a fully integrated kitchen, including a fridge, sink and cooking hobs. Lighting and temperature control is taken care of by a portable tablet, which features a bespoke, wall-mounted housing for charging.
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Keeping all of these gadgets topped up shouldn’t be at the detriment of electric range, which Hyundai claims is around 250 miles in the 800V, fast-charging all-electric Staria upon which the camper is based.
Integrated into the pop-up roof is a 520W lightweight composite solar panel, capable of generating up to 2.6 kWh of electricity per day, based on an average of five hours of sunlight per day, Hyundai claims.
This solar system can either be used to extend driving range, or charge the vehicle’s batteries very slowly in other words, or be harnessed to power things like lights, the 36-liter refrigerator and the cabin temperature control system.
The lux rear seats also fold down into a very comfortable-looking double bed, while an integrated shower ensures owners can wake up and get fresh for the day.
Water is stored in an onboard tank and heated electrically, either via the vehicles’s battery packs or through solar power.
Off-grid goes luxury
Hyundai says it is exploring the camper concept because it feels demand for electric mobility and experiential travel is accelerating across Europe, stating that its customers are “increasingly seeking vehicles that combine everyday usability with the freedom to travel independently and comfortably”.
The company has certainly nailed the brief with the Staria Camper and it proves that MPVs, people carriers and even van derivatives, such as Kia’s latest PV5, have a place in the electrified landscape. Sure, the SUV might be the world’s most popular body style, but it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone wants one.
Unfortunately, there’s no official date for an official production run of this camper variant, but the company is consulting the public to see if there is an appetite for one.
If so, it could make it to production and I want to be first in line to try it.
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