Outdoors

Tesla-boosting electric teardrop trailer charges toward market

Tesla-boosting electric teardrop trailer charges toward market
To help alleviate range-slashing towing issues, the Colorado Teardrops Boulder trailer packs enough battery power to fully or significantly charge some Tesla models (or whatever EV you choose to tow it with)
To help alleviate range-slashing towing issues, the Colorado Teardrops Boulder trailer packs enough battery power to fully or significantly charge some Tesla models (or whatever EV you choose to tow it with)
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Colorado Teardrops creates a bright, versatile interior using hickory wood
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Colorado Teardrops creates a bright, versatile interior using hickory wood
The Boulder trailer interior sets up as a compact dining lounge during the day and a family hotel room at night
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The Boulder trailer interior sets up as a compact dining lounge during the day and a family hotel room at night
The Colorado Boulder has a revised teardrop shape designed for efficient aerodynamics
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The Colorado Boulder has a revised teardrop shape designed for efficient aerodynamics
While Colorado Teardrops will offer kitchen equipment, its standard galley will come largely empty, with shelves and storage space for common cooking equipment
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While Colorado Teardrops will offer kitchen equipment, its standard galley will come largely empty, with shelves and storage space for common cooking equipment
Unlike virtually any other trailer out there, the Boulder is built to send power to the tow vehicle
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Unlike virtually any other trailer out there, the Boulder is built to send power to the tow vehicle
Galley packed up and ready to roll out to the next campsite
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Galley packed up and ready to roll out to the next campsite
Colorado Teardrops says the Boulder will accommodate two adults, two children and even the family dog, but we're not quite seeing it in this picture
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Colorado Teardrops says the Boulder will accommodate two adults, two children and even the family dog, but we're not quite seeing it in this picture
A Tesla tows the Colorado Teardrops Boulder trailer to camp, where the trailer can then deliver charging to top the Tesla off for the next drive
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A Tesla tows the Colorado Teardrops Boulder trailer to camp, where the trailer can then deliver charging to top the Tesla off for the next drive
At 2,200 lb, without available options, the Boulder is also designed to be lightweight for a family trailer, mitigating its effects on EV range
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At 2,200 lb, without available options, the Boulder is also designed to be lightweight for a family trailer, mitigating its effects on EV range
Besides its battery power, the Boulder is quite distinctive in its gullwing style and shape
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Besides its battery power, the Boulder is quite distinctive in its gullwing style and shape
Dual gullwing doors create a scenic, airy space
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Dual gullwing doors create a scenic, airy space
One of the next Colorado EV trailers in the pipeline, the Denver is planned as a 27-foot four adult-sleeper with pop-up hardshell and 200-kWh battery
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One of the next Colorado EV trailers in the pipeline, the Denver is planned as a 27-foot four adult-sleeper with pop-up hardshell and 200-kWh battery
The Denver's lowering hardshell and Boulder-inspired shape will improve its aerodynamic efficiency
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The Denver's lowering hardshell and Boulder-inspired shape will improve its aerodynamic efficiency
The Golden will be the midsize travel trailer in the Colorado Teardrops EV lineup
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The Golden will be the midsize travel trailer in the Colorado Teardrops EV lineup
Boulder Mission #1: integrating the 75-kWh battery pack into the steel chassis
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Boulder Mission #1: integrating the 75-kWh battery pack into the steel chassis
To help alleviate range-slashing towing issues, the Colorado Teardrops Boulder trailer packs enough battery power to fully or significantly charge some Tesla models (or whatever EV you choose to tow it with)
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To help alleviate range-slashing towing issues, the Colorado Teardrops Boulder trailer packs enough battery power to fully or significantly charge some Tesla models (or whatever EV you choose to tow it with)
View gallery - 16 images

Colorado may not hold a candle to Germany when it comes to electric camper van innovation, but it is slowly becoming a hotbed for electric camper trailers. Last year, following the Colorado Campworks NS-1 trailer and its all-electric camping package, Colorado Teardrops proposed a small trailer with a battery large enough to charge an electric tow vehicle – it would deliver more range while in tow than the vehicle would get without. What was previously a series of (very rough) Boulder renderings is now a working prototype, testing its way toward a planned 2023 market launch.

With tow loads capable of more than halving an EV's already limited range, trailer manufacturers are working quickly to innovate new solutions to the problem. The most visible has been Thor Industries/Erwin Hymer's cross-Atlantic effort to create an e-driven trailer that can cut its effective weight to zero, essentially powering itself behind the tow vehicle. Colorado Teardrops, on the other hand, presents a less complicated solution that involves loading its teardrop with a Tesla Model Y-sized battery large enough to power available electrical camping equipment and work as a range extender for the vehicle towing it.

Like many teardrop trailers, the Colorado Teardrops Boulder sits on a powder-coated steel frame with Dexter torsion suspension cushioning the wheels. Unlike those many teardrop trailers, this one has a 75-kWh 480-V battery pack integrated into its chassis build, keeping weight low and center.

Boulder Mission #1: integrating the 75-kWh battery pack into the steel chassis
Boulder Mission #1: integrating the 75-kWh battery pack into the steel chassis

One might expect that oversized trailer battery to support all kinds of power-hungry camping equipment and appliances, but to keep the pack as fresh as possible Colorado Teardrops limits its camper design to a largely structural build. There are some LED lights sipping off the battery and some 110-V outlets for plugging in, but the galley and interior comprise mostly just fixtures like a countertop, cabinets and dining table.

Colorado Teardrops plans to offer electrical options like an induction cooktop, coffee maker, A/C and fridge, but buyers are also free to use simpler, non-electrical solutions like a portable gas stove and an ice-filled cooler. In that way, the Boulder owner can manage battery power between appliances and range-extending vehicular charging without having a large standard electrical load out of the gate. Colorado Teardrops also plans to offer other power management solutions, including solar charging and a propane tank.

While Colorado Teardrops will offer kitchen equipment, its standard galley will come largely empty, with shelves and storage space for common cooking equipment
While Colorado Teardrops will offer kitchen equipment, its standard galley will come largely empty, with shelves and storage space for common cooking equipment

As far as its charging abilities go, the goal is for the production Boulder to offer bi-directional Level 3 fast-charging. Owners can charge it up at a fast-charging station ahead of time and then charge the tow EV once it gets low on battery. Colorado Teardrops estimates the trailer will zap about 100 miles (161 km) worth of range into the tow EV in a matter of 10 minutes, ultimately teaming with the base vehicle's initial full charge at trip start to offer a total range greater than the standard EV range without the trailer in tow. So, like the Dethleffs e.Home Coco and Airstream eStream, the Boulder essentially "carries its own weight," only in a different way.

Unlike virtually any other trailer out there, the Boulder is built to send power to the tow vehicle
Unlike virtually any other trailer out there, the Boulder is built to send power to the tow vehicle

In addition to increased range, a real advantage of the Boulder design is lessening or possibly eliminating the need to stop at charging stations mid-trip and/or having to identify a campground with hookups that can support overnight EV charging. Drivers can run the battery down on the trip to camp, then charge up once they get there or in the morning before they leave.

Unfortunately, charging during driving, which would really make for a seamless trip, is not currently possible. Colorado Teardrops hopes to work with EV makers on making that happen in the future, but don't bank on a near-future OTA update as a main reason for buying the Boulder.

All that battery power doesn't currently come cheap, and there's no friendly government incentives to help out with buying a recreational camping trailer. At US$55,000 to start, the Boulder is exceptionally expensive for a teardrop, especially when you consider its largely empty, equipment-less base spec. Helping to take a little sting out of that price shock, the trailer is designed to sleep four people – rather than two – using a combination of 60 x 78-in (152 x 198-in) RV queen and two single bunk beds. Colorado Teardrops even says that a dog can fit in with those four people, though it definitely looks like things will get very cozy.

Colorado Teardrops says the Boulder will accommodate two adults, two children and even the family dog, but we're not quite seeing it in this picture
Colorado Teardrops says the Boulder will accommodate two adults, two children and even the family dog, but we're not quite seeing it in this picture

Colorado Teardrops offsets some of the massive weight gain of the 75-kWh automotive-grade battery pack with a lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum frame, insulated aluminum exterior walls and a polyurethane-sealed hickory wood interior. Having very little standard equipment also helps that mission, and the company estimates base dry weight at 2,200 lb (1,000 kg), leaving roughly 1,300 lb (589 kg) of payload before hitting the 3,500-lb (1,587-kg) rating of the suspension.

Colorado Teardrops is currently working to upgrade the Boulder prototype's Level 2 testing system to the Level 3 DC-to-DC fast-charging hardware it ultimately plans to offer in production. It is also working on securing a battery partner, and hopes to begin deliveries in the first half of 2023. Its original delivery target was right around now, so we won't be too surprised if that 2023 date slips to the second half of 2023 or beyond.

Specs and pricing are subject to change, of course, though Colorado Teardrops does offer interested buyers the opportunity to lock pricing in by putting down a reservation payment. In fact, a $10,000 downpayment secures a discounted $45,000 price.

One of the next Colorado EV trailers in the pipeline, the Denver is planned as a 27-foot four adult-sleeper with pop-up hardshell and 200-kWh battery
One of the next Colorado EV trailers in the pipeline, the Denver is planned as a 27-foot four adult-sleeper with pop-up hardshell and 200-kWh battery

Once the Boulder is rolling, Colorado Teardrops plans two additional models in the EV series, the 17-foot (5.1-m) Golden and the 27-foot (8.2-m) Denver. Both these larger travel trailers will carry more battery power, ranging between 125 and 200 kWh. To open up more complete interiors with standing room while still offering low, aerodynamic towing profiles, Colorado Teardrops intends to use a lifting hardshell design for both models.

Source: Colorado Teardrops

View gallery - 16 images
9 comments
9 comments
TpPa
shapes nice, inside is nice, extra battery is nice, but that color blue, and that diamond plating by the wheel wells just doesn't work
Where'sMyHoverboard
Too much weight in front of the wheels? With all that battery between the trailer's wheels the weight on the tow ball is going to be enormous.
michael_dowling
A trailer gives more options for solar recharging,with the possibility of folded solar panels on the roof of the trailer,so a trip to the boonies won't strand you.
Winterbiker
Forget the camper, just make a trailer battery that can be used for long trips. I picture a rent-it store having a lot full of little trailers that you could go and rent for a a day or a week when you want to go on a long road trip. Range anxiety no more!
Seasherm
I like the first comment about color and diamond plate. I won a teardrop trailer with these exact colors and diamond plating on the wheel wells. I get comments all of the time about how beautiful it is. The diamond plate is an upgrade, and is very strong and durable too.
Seasherm
I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that the trailer makers know how to balance the trailer, and towing weight is always a published number. I do like the idea of a battery trailer for trip extension. Like, if I want to head into the mountains where there is no recharge.
SteveMc
@Winterbiker: I'm not sure of what the point of your idea is? What's the difference in just stopping to charge? If you tow the spare battery with you, you're losing energy through friction and drag - and currently have to stop to charge from it anyway.. So surely it makes far more sense to stop and charge as normal. Unless the trailered battery has a further purpose, as in the camper, there's zero benefit in towing just a battery. The only real case would be for super-remote areas with no EV-charger infrastructure but then you'd be crazy to take an EV for that kind of trip.
jerryd
So dumb. The smart way is making an ultralight aero trailer and the example is exactly the opposite.
Done right with a not so aero EV it'll take no extra power to tow from the aero savings. At camp a far better choice is lightweight folding solar arrays for screened room roof plus on the top of a gently curves roof they actually is aero vs the shown which is very bad aero, alone would cut range 25% before weight/rolling drag.
Aross
Batteries in the trailer to feed the pulling EV is nice but as others have said solar panels to charge those batteries would be a benefit. Better still some sort of energy recovery/power assist system would also go a long way in making this trailer useful. Not sure about their weight distribution calculations but I would worry about the overall tongue weight.