Lightship to Open Colorado Production Facility for L1 ERV

RV Business

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Lightship, America’s first all-electric RV company, announced it signed a lease agreement on a 32,000-square-foot facility in Broomfield, Colo. The space will house the company’s pilot manufacturing operations for the Lightship L1, an aerodynamic, solar and battery-powered travel trailer, to meet high demand following its launch in March.

The newly constructed building developed by McWhinney is located within the Baseline Innovation District, and Lightship is expected to move in and begin operations in 2024. The company projects it will add dozens of jobs in high-tech manufacturing and clean technology as it ramps up production.

“This is a big milestone for Lightship and a steppingstone to ultimately producing thousands of vehicles in the future and helping to introduce electrification to a pastime enjoyed by millions of American families,” said Toby Kraus, Lightship Co-Founder and CEO. “I grew up in Colorado and am thrilled for Lightship to set up its first production facility and contribute to the growing ecosystem of climate tech and hardware manufacturing in my home state.”

Broomfield is an up-and-coming innovation hub with access to a strong labor pool in Denver, Boulder and surrounding areas. The new site will expand Lightship’s Colorado and California operations and represents a key indicator of the company’s projected growth as it ramps up large-scale production.

“We’re excited to open this new facility and grow the team that will build our first product, an RV that is safe, reliable and built to last,” says Hayley Cashdollar, Head of Manufacturing at Lightship. “Lightship will be recruiting for a production team of associates, technicians, engineers and more to deliver our all-electric, aerodynamic travel trailer to enhance the outdoor travel experience.”

Lightship plans to showcase its innovative L1 all-electric RV at various events in Colorado throughout the year, including the Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado from August 25-27.

Lightship L1 Travel Trailer

Lightship took a clean-sheet approach to building an all-electric RV the same way Tesla disrupted the established automakers. The Lightship team, which includes alumni from Rivian, Proterra, Lucid and Zoox in addition to Tesla, is leveraging their expertise in automotive EV development and design to deliver the following:

A hyper-efficient design that is three times more aerodynamic than a traditional travel trailer for longer range and greater efficiency, which means a 300-mile range electric vehicle (EV) used to tow it remains a 300-mile range EV, and a 25-mpg gas truck remains a 25-mpg gas truck.
An electric powertrain with up to 80 kWh of onboard battery capacity allowing the trailer to propel itself and achieve near-zero range or efficiency loss for the tow vehicle.
A no-compromise battery system that can provide a week of off-grid power without charging. Coupled with up to 3 kW of solar power, the RV can power the living needs of its occupants and eliminates the reliance on propane and other fossil fuels.
An ecosystem of all-electric appliances, connected features, and modern amenities for a seamless camping experience.
The Lightship L1 has a starting price of $125,000 or $118,400 after an available tax credit and is available now for a $500 reservation at lightshiprv.com. Production is expected to begin in late 2024.
Additional specifications include:
- Length: 27 ft
- Width: 8 ft 6 in
- Height: 6 ft 9 in (road mode); 10 ft (camp mode)
- Gross Vehicle Weight: 7,500 lbs. (fully loaded)
- Sleeping capacity: 4-6 depending on configuration