- Detroit-based startup Grounded is making an electric RV.
- Using the Chevrolet BrightDrop van as a base, the G3 electric camper can go over 270 miles on a full charge.
- The RV doesn't use any wood for the interior.
Electric recreational vehicles are few and far between. That’s because the vehicles on which they are based are usually vans with less than 200 miles of range to begin with. Delivery vans usually do most of their work inside cities, so it doesn’t make much sense to stuff them with big batteries.
As a result, electric camper vans have yet to take off–who wants to drive 100 miles to a campsite and spend the evening thinking about how to get back home with an empty battery? Nobody, obviously. But here’s where General Motors and Detroit-based startup Grounded come into play.
The Grounded G3, which is based on the latest iteration of the Chevrolet BrightDrop electric van, can go “over 270 miles” on a full charge, making it a decent choice for anyone who’s into camping. Meanwhile, the 2026 Chevy BrightDrop's maximum range figure is 286 miles.
Fast charging is also on the cards thanks to a CCS1 charging port and a CCS1-to-NACS adapter that can be used at compatible Tesla Superchargers across North America.
GM doesn’t say exactly how many kilowatts its battery-powered van can accept from a DC fast charger, but it does mention that up to 160 miles of range can be added in one hour of charging. When it comes to Level 2 charging, the van has a 19.2-kilowatt onboard charger as standard.
The electric RV also comes with dual-motor all-wheel drive that puts down 300 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. That’s because the only way to get the largest, 20-module battery pack offered by Chevrolet on the BrightDrop is to get the AWD setup.
The G3 gets a customizable interior with swappable modules, a Starlink satellite internet connection, 1 kW of solar power, exterior power outlets, a 15,000 BTU HVAC system for cooling and heating, and a battery to keep everything running even when there’s no grid connection. Grounded can fit up to 20 kWh of batteries which can also power a house through a 1.4 kW export system. Moreover, the batteries are self-heating, so they can work in any environment.
Grounded offers RV builds on either the BrightDrop 400 or the BrightDrop 600 vans. The 400 is 238.6 inches long, while the 600 is 290 inches. The startup has three versions, with the base G3 Form coming with just the bare necessities. For $165,000, you get a fixed queen bed, a kitchenette, a pair of closets and some overhead storage. There’s no bathroom.
The $180,000 G3 Function brings a bigger battery, full kitchen equipment, a full shower and a dinette. The top G3 Freedom goes for $200,000 and adds an even bigger battery and a lift bed.
There’s not a single piece of wood inside, with Grounded going for fully recycled material for the cabinetry, while the support structure is made from reinforced aluminum.
“We replaced wood cabinetry with durable aluminum frames and 100% recycled tree-free materials, refined every wall panel and furniture module to deliver designer-grade aesthetics with pro-functionality, added a motorized lift bed that transforms into a California King, and designed a new insulated rear door that improves energy efficiency without sacrificing the view,” said Grounded CEO Sam Shapiro.
Gallery: Grounded G3 electric RV
The fact that the G3 is based on a commercial delivery van has a lot of advantages, but it also introduces a peculiar problem: there’s no side door to access the interior. Instead, campers will need to use the rear door, which is also insulated, or try and make their way from the cabin, between the front seats.
There are also no seatbelts in the RV, and the front seats (which have seatbelts) don’t swivel like they would in a traditional camper. That said, the startup is working on the seatbelt situation and a solution is on the way.
With production slated to begin this month, it’s good to see that the BrightDrop van is being used as a base for a ready-made electric RV.
