Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

Van life might just make a comeback with electric vehicles and tech-forward concepts

We may never see these next-gen van concepts stateside, but that's not going to keep us from daydreamin'

By

Volkswagen California campervan concept setup at camp with sleeper top open.
Volkswagen

Thanks to Instagram, TikTok, and America’s insatiable new appetite for RV’ing during The Covid Years, the modern van life movement found its way into mainstream culture. While cute, highly customized, hippie-chic vans garnered most of that attention, van life is hardly “new.” Some folks have been living it out of necessity and a quest for minimalism (see Nomadland) for decades, while others have enjoyed the more luxurious showroom offerings from the likes of Volkswagen and Mercedes. These last two, along with Europe’s most recognizable van makers, recently released the next class of state-of-the-art van living concepts. It’s clear they’re working to ditch traditional gas-powered models for cleaner, electric-powered alternatives with a lot more tech features baked in.

Recommended Videos

Volkswagen

Volkswagen came out swinging at this year’s Caravan Salon (a mega trade show for mobile living brands and enthusiasts) in Dusseldorf. The German automaker debuted a concept of its next-generation T7 California Camper. It’s almost identical to VW’s most well-known camper offering, with a clear lineage to the OG T2 camper that might well be the world’s first “van life” van. One of the biggest upgrades is that this seventh-generation edition will be offered with a plug-in hybrid option. Given VW’s penchant as a tech-forward company, it wouldn’t surprise us to see the following generation go all-electric. Other upgrades include dual sliding doors that add a whole new level of versatility. Swiveling front captain chairs and an indoor/outdoor, camp-friendly kitchen make the entire cab infinitely more usable, too.

Ford Transit Nugget campervan parked in a field with its rooftop sleeper popped.
Ford

Ford

Ford also unveiled a concept with a plug-in hybrid option based on its ever-popular van life platform, the Transit and Tourneo-based campervans. The Ford Transit Custom Nugget is a serious van-life-ready chariot with a tilt-roof that sleeps four. With help from iconic campervan builders Westfalia, the automaker also incorporated tech-forward conveniences, like a solar roof panel, driver-assist safety options, a tailgate-mounted shower, and a massive amount of storage throughout.

Mercedes-Benz V-Class Marco Polo campervan concept in a studio.
Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz

True to its roots, Mercedes-Benz made a splash at Caravan Salon with the new V-Class Marco Polo concept. The Marco Polo range is Mercedes’ own campervan line-up in Europe, and one that’s frequently used by enthusiasts as a platform for building and customizing their own rigs. For those looking for a more luxurious, off-the-rack option, however, this new M-B van will feature a next-gen touchscreen interface to control almost every tech feature, including the company’s AIRMATIC suspension, capable of automatically leveling the van when camping on uneven ground.

Related

It’s difficult to know which, if any, of these European van life concepts will ever see mainstream production. Of those that do, most will never find their way onto U.S. roads. So, if you want one, you might need to figure out a way to import it. The other, far more fun option would be to just throw all your worldly possessions into the ocean, book a one-way ticket across the pond to start a new life as a European van lifer, and never look back. Whichever you decide, we salute you.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
A Tesla owner transformed his Model X into a van life vehicle, complete with a bed and camp kitchen
Tesla owners love their vehicles, but this is commitment
Tesla Model 3 parked in a desert in front of sand dunes next to a camel.

 

Living the van life is one thing. But most of us don't aspire to live out of our cars for any length of time. They're cramped, there's no bathroom, and, if you've ever tried sleeping in your car, you know that it just sucks. One YouTuber decided to take on the challenge of living out of his Tesla. With a bit of customization and some ingenuity, he managed to travel the United States for an entire year in relative comfort.

Read more
Mitsubishi DX concept previews future for outdoor enthusiasts: A compact EV as comfortable in the city as off the beaten path
Large RVs will still exist of course, but we're all for more flexible options as well
Mitsubishi DX Concept lifestyle van right rear three-quarter view with a clear image of a rooftop luggage carrier.

We expect electric vehicle campers and vans will spark new interest in off-grid lifestyles. The recently revealed Mitsubishi DX Concept hybrid adventure van is different enough from current models to prompt consideration of minivans as more than kid haulers. Releasing graphics of the Mitsubishi DX Concept doesn't commit the manufacturer to anything. Still, even suggesting that such a vehicle could prowl the land in the not-too-distant future is inspirational.

The most impressive camper vans available today are based on Mercedes Sprinter vans. Mitsubishi took a different approach for the DX Concept than the typical Sprinter large-box-tricked-out-nicely design style guide. Mitsubishi doesn't reveal the DX Concepts dimensions -- or any other specifics -- but it's obvious the DX sticks to a more-from-less scheme.

Read more
These tiny, cleverly designed Japanese RVs make your small camper van look like a palace
Good things come in small packages, right?
Man sitting atop a campervan with a headlamp at night.

There's no doubt that Americans are stereotyped as liking things big. From our lattes to our SUVs to our monster LED TVs, many of us like things jumbo-sized. It's evident in the RVs we drive, too, which tend to be unnecessarily large. Seriously, have you seen some of the priciest, most palatial, most luxurious motorhomes on the road today? They're fancier and way more feature-packed than any apartment I've ever lived in.

Things in the RV world look a whole lot different overseas, though, especially in places like Europe where gas (or "petrol") is astronomically expensive, and they just don't have the same wide-open expanses of land that we do here in the States. A perfect example: Japan. The islands are small, the people are significantly smaller than most average Americans, and the gas prices are outrageous. So, it's no surprise that the country's recreational vehicles are some of the most compact and fuel-efficient in the world.

Read more