EV converter Roev and RedSands ink deal to create Australia’s first EV 4WD camper

A startup founded by ex-Atlassian executives that converts petrol-powered Hilux and Ranger utes to EVs has turned its sights on the camping market after Roev inked a deal with RedSands Campers to develop the country’s first fully electrified 4WD camper.

RedSands, a 4WD and campervan hire company with an 80% German and Swedish customer base, will be working alongside engineers at Roev to supply the data and specifications of the fleet to be electrified, the latest in its efforts to decarbonise its operations.

RedSands Campers Managing Director Adam Sands called the memorandum of understanding a milestone for the WA-based company amid a growing customer hunger for travel and holiday to be sustainable in self-drive destinations around Australia.

“Partnering with Roev, we see huge benefits with not just the recreational hire market, but to dispel myths around the requirement for internal combustion engines to be the only way that more remote locations can be explored,” he added.

Sands is among many who have been “waiting years for a commercially available, robust EV 4WD product in Australia,” and said he was resolute to be the “front runner and prove it can work”.

V2X campers coming

Enter Roev — a startup that burst onto the scene last September with an ambitious vow to convert 1000 electric Toyota HiLux utes to electric vehicles. The startup has since launched the Roev EV Fleet Program, working with councils and businesses.

It was founded by American-born Noah Wasmer, formerly of Apple and VMware, and Paul Slade, formerly of Vignette, who got talking while working together at tech titan Atlassian about the sluggish number of EVs hitting the Australian automotive market.

Wasmer was “thrilled” about the partnership, saying “electrifying 4WD campers will prove the performance of light commercial EV’s and advance market acceptance of electric conversions as a reliable, safe, capable, and accessible way to transition to lower emissions transport”.

“Not only that – we’re going to enhance the 4WD camper experience with vehicles that are joyful to drive and loaded with smart V2X solutions,” he said.

V2X, or vehicle to everything, is a term that refers to a vehicle’s communication system, where real-time traffic information, changing road conditions, road signs and more will feed into software that is served to the driver.

The campers, while providing a cost-saving measure for petrol, will also allow customers to cook with electricity rather than gas bottles in what Sands predicted marks “the new age of remote camping” in Australia.

EV charging boost

Australia’s sentiment for EVs has come a long way since then prime minister Scott Morrison said an EV could not “tow your trailer” or a boat and could not “get you out to your favourite camping spot” in 2019.

But charging stations remain an obstacle for many prospective EV buyers. There were about 3,700 public chargers at 2,100 places countrywide in October, according to an Electric Vehicle Council report — far short of Canada’s 16,000 public chargers.

To that end, Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced a new $70 million round of grant funding for innovative charging infrastructure to be delivered through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) last month.

“Today’s announcement through ARENA is in addition to the Government’s National Electric Vehicle Charging Network which will deliver a truly national EV charging network with a charger approximately every 150km on our major highways,” Bowen said.

Not one to wait, Sands says RedSands is also partnering with the fellow WA-based G’Day Group which is installing charging infrastructure and campsites at some of their East Kimberley properties including Lake Argyle Resort and El Questro Station.

G’day Group Chief Executive Officer Grant Wilckens, who is also Chair of the Caravan Industry Association of Australia, added the electrified 4WDs would be ideal for the WA Government’s planned electrified highway from the SA border to Kununurra.