Carbon fibre is beginning to become more prevalent on production vehicles, like the BMW i3,
but a new company headquartered in Speedway, IN, is taking the
ultra-light material to the next level. Soon you will be able to order a
35-foot-long, tow-behind RV made from a carbon fibre monocoque and
body. The company behind it is called Global Caravan Technologies, and
it recently revealed the production-ready prototype of its CR-1 trailer.
GCT was founded in the summer of 2013, and design of the CR-1 began in
September. The company worked with IndyCar Series racecar builder
Dallara to develop the technology capable of building such massive
pieces of carbon fibre for the monocoque. It's still keeping the exact
production process a secret. Company CEO Charles Hoefer said to Autoblog,
"There are lots of patents involved and underway." The production model
will be shown in the fall, and sales will begin in the first quarter of
2015.
"We are forging a niche that hasn't existed before," said Hoefer about GCT. He predicts the production CR-1 will have a base weight of about 2,721 kilograms (6,000 pounds), which he claims is about half as much as a traditional RV of this size. For drivers, it means estimated fuel economy 100 per cent to 150 per cent better than competitors. The body and monocoque are completely bonded with no screws or fasteners, which also makes the CR-1 one of the stiffest trailers available.
As you can expect with its cutting edge tech, the CR-1 won't be cheap. Hoefer predicts that the production version will start around US$170,000 with a fully customized model coming in at around US$770,000. In return, buyers will be offered luxury features like a full-height closets, a walk-through master bath, 700-watt solar system, integrated generator, adjustable-tint privacy glass, run-flat tires, and system controls via iOS, Android or the PC.
The CR-1 prototype was built at GCT headquarters, next door to Dallara, but the company is still deciding on a location for the factory. It has plans to expand in the future with more available lengths.
"We are forging a niche that hasn't existed before," said Hoefer about GCT. He predicts the production CR-1 will have a base weight of about 2,721 kilograms (6,000 pounds), which he claims is about half as much as a traditional RV of this size. For drivers, it means estimated fuel economy 100 per cent to 150 per cent better than competitors. The body and monocoque are completely bonded with no screws or fasteners, which also makes the CR-1 one of the stiffest trailers available.
As you can expect with its cutting edge tech, the CR-1 won't be cheap. Hoefer predicts that the production version will start around US$170,000 with a fully customized model coming in at around US$770,000. In return, buyers will be offered luxury features like a full-height closets, a walk-through master bath, 700-watt solar system, integrated generator, adjustable-tint privacy glass, run-flat tires, and system controls via iOS, Android or the PC.
The CR-1 prototype was built at GCT headquarters, next door to Dallara, but the company is still deciding on a location for the factory. It has plans to expand in the future with more available lengths.
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