Alpha Motor Corporation has yet to get close to fielding an actual product, but that hasn't slowed the company in its push to introduce more and more future electric vehicle designs. It previewed its Wolf electric pickup truck earlier this year, and this month it shows how it will turn that truck into a full camper to compete with electric pickup campers from Tesla and Rivian. To make that happen, it teamed with the German inflatable tent specialists at Heimplanet to create the inflatable pickup-back Cloudbreak camper.
The AMC x Heimplanet Cloudbreak tent camper isn't the first inflatable pickup camper we've seen, nor is it even the first vehicle-back Heimplanet to surface. But it is the first inflatable pickup camper we've seen designed specifically for an all-electric truck, a simpler, lighter breed of truck camper that will naturally complement a small electric pickup like the Wolf.
Heimplanet's inflatable camper is shown fitted to both the two-seat Wolf and larger four-seat Wolf+, relying on an inflatable exoskeleton and guy lines to take shape. It shelters the pickup bed itself and expands out into a freestanding, dual-door tent with awning room off the back of the truck.
The standard Wolf+ bed measures only 65 in (165 cm) long, a bit short for adults trying to lie down, but the extender adds 40 in (102 cm) to provide plenty of space to stretch out. Add a pair of inflatable mattresses and you have a comfy night of sleep above the cold, rocky ground below. The polyester tent includes a number of windows and skylight panels for better breathing and viewing.
Assuming it ever becomes more than a nice rendering, the Wolf pickup promises to be a versatile, all-terrain adventurer. At 203 in (516 cm) for the four-door, it's well shorter than a 212-in (539-cm) Toyota Tacoma and just over 3 in (7.6 cm) longer than the all-new Ford Maverick, promising a light, nimble ride on and off road.
Its 275-mile (443-km) max range isn't as robust as a Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning or Tesla Cybertruck, but it's still enough for many a camping trip or overnight adventure. A dual-motor four-wheel drive is available to make the Wolf a superior off-road navigator, perfect for getting away from the crowds currently flooding popular campgrounds and national parks.
The Cloudbreak is certainly a pretty design, but before we get too excited about outfitting the Wolf with an inflatable tent camper, we'll wait for Alpha Motor to actually get the truck – or any one of its previewed vehicles – to market. It plans to get its first onto roadways "as early as 2023." For now, projected Wolf pricing ranges between US$36,000 and $46,000, with the Wolf+ coming in between $40,000 and $48,000, before tax incentives.
Sources: Alpha Motor, Heimplanet
