Thetford Continues Collaboration on Solar-Powered Vehicles – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News

Stella Vita, the solar-powered driving house by students with Solar Team Eindhoven. With the roof folded out this self-sustaining House On Wheels has enough solar panels for driving and living. On a full battery and a sunny day it could reach 730 kms. (Image: STE / Bart van Overbeeke)

Thetford and Solar Team Eindhoven have maintained their partnership, embarking on a collaborative endeavor to construct a solar-powered off-road car. Thriving for a more sustainable future, Thetford contributes to this project of Technical University Eindhoven by providing expertise and products for cooking, cooling and sanitation to this revolutionary vehicle, according to a release from Thetford’s Europe-based corporate headquarters.

Last year, Solar Team Eindhoven introduced SHOW (Self-sustaining House On Wheels), a fully solar-powered motorhome of the future. Thetford used its expertise to provide the Solar Team with custom-made products for cooking, cooling and sanitation. The project aimed to meet the requirements of SHOW, including achieving minimal weight, utilising electric propulsion with minimal energy usage and prioritising excellent user experience. This year Solar Team Eindhoven, alongside its partners, will showcase a continued commitment to electric vehicle innovation, emphasizing that SHOW is merely the beginning of its ground-breaking contributions to the field.

Stella Terra

In succession of SHOW, Solar Team Eindhoven is currently building an off-road car on solar energy. It is the first time that the students are constructing a robust car that can also handle off-road conditions. The car, called Stella Terra — known so far to be the first off-road car powered by solar energy — is currently in development and expected to hit the road this September.

The challenge given to Stella Terra is to be able to stay off-grid for five days. For this reason, Solar Team Eindhoven once more knocked on Thetford’s door in search for mobile solutions. “As a premium brand supplier of sanitary solutions, refrigerators, and cooking appliances for motorhomes and caravans, Thetford stands for quality, creativity, and innovation,” said Norbert van Noesel, marketing manager at Thetford. “When developing new solutions, sustainability and environmental consciousness are important themes. Electrification is a big trend in our RV market and Thetford fully supports this development, the company’s T2000 12V compressor refrigerator being a prime example of RV refrigerators with remarkably low power consumption. We therefore see a perfect match with Solar Team Eindhoven, which has consistently emerged victorious in the global solar car competition, demonstrating excellence in sustainable innovation and cutting-edge technology. This is a partnership that makes sense, resulting in an interesting and inspiring collaboration. A team of passionate Thetford engineers supports Solar Team Eindhoven, integrating tailor-made, mobile sanitation, cooking and cooling appliances. We are looking forward to see the final results!”

On Sept. 14, Solar Team Eindhoven will present Stella Terra. On September 25th Stella Terra will take off to an off-grid location to be revealed later.

About Thetford

Thetford is the world’s leading supplier of mobile sanitation systems, cooking appliances, refrigerators, service doors and a broad range of toilet care and maintenance products. Thetford products are available worldwide through local dealers. Thetford’s international headquarters are in Etten-Leur, The Netherlands. The company also has production facilities in the United States, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Italy and China. Approximately 1,800 employees work for the Thetford Group. Thetford understands how important leisure time is for everyone. That is why Thetford remains a product leader with reliable, sustainable and high-quality products that are easy to use.

For further information about Thetford, please visit the website www.thetford.com.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/thetford-continues-collaboration-on-solar-powered-vehicles/