Range-Extending EV Camper Could Give Ford F-150 Lightning Big Boost

By Brett Foote - September 9, 2022

After entering the next stage of development, this EV camper will reportedly add range to the vehicle that’s towing it.

The Ford F-150 Lightning has received nothing but rave reviews since its launch, proving to be a fantastic vehicle to drive. It’s fast and fun with excellent ride quality and solid range figures, but there’s just one problem, really – if you tow with one, you won’t be going very far. Those that have tested the Lightning’s capabilities in that regard have found that range is slashed in half and even as low as 90-100 miles when pushed to its limits, which obviously isn’t ideal, given how long it takes to charge one. However, a range-extending EV camper from Colorado Teardrops just entered the next phase of development, and it looks pretty promising.

That teardrop camper is called The Boulder, and it’s a 12-foot model that sleeps up to four people with a Queen-sized bed and a pair of bunk beds, the former of which converts into a seating area when nap time is over. It’s fitted with a galley that holds anything from coolers to stoves to whatever you want to put in there for your next outdoor adventure, and it’s quite customizable to boot. But there’s more to this compact EV camper than that, of course.

The reason The Boulder is called an EV camper is because it’s equipped with a 75 kWh battery that aims to preserve an electric vehicle’s range while towing it, or even improve that range. In its first stage of development, The Boulder is using Level 2 charging, while Colorado Teardrops is working on making it DC fast charging capable between the camper and the EV that’s towing it. The company has discovered through testing that the camper provides a net gain in that department, meaning that something like the Lightning with the extended range battery pack will likely be able to travel more than its 300-mile EPA range estimate when it’s hooked up.

That’s obviously a huge boon for anyone that wants to take their EV pickup camping, but can’t imagine having to stop at a charging station every 90 miles or so, which really limits where one can go. Of course, this doesn’t help folks that want to tow other things and preserve their range, but we imagine that The Boulder is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in this regard. In fact, Colorado Teardrops is also working on a pair of larger campers – a 17- and 27-foot model, which will feature larger batteries up to 250 kWh. For now, however, The Boulder is expected to be available in the first-half of 2023, with pricing starting at $55,000.