Lightship to quadruple electrical journey trailer manufacturing in CO

All-electric RV developer Lightship stated it’s considerably increasing its manufacturing footprint to “meet surging demand” for its flagship journey trailer, which can see a streamlined configuration course of.

It’s been a minute since we shared any Lightship information, and it’s at all times welcome. The all-electric leisure automobile startup has been principally quiet the previous 9 months or so following the official begin of manufacturing of its flagship journey trailer, the AE.1.

Those builds started with a configuration of the AE.1 referred to as Cosmos Edition. After opening gross sales of the AE.1 Cosmos Edition in late 2024, Lightship reported sturdy demand – a pattern that seems to have continued given in the present day’s replace under.

The launch version model of the Lightship journey trailer fully bought out throughout early manufacturing, however the firm introduced two extra variations: AE.1 Atmos and AE.1 Panos – every designed to fulfill completely different traveler wants and value factors.

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Today, Lightship introduced it has revamped its AE.1 configurations to simplify its lineup for purchasers whereas increasing trailer manufacturing to maintain up with its rising order backlog.

Lightship to develop trailer manufacturing by ~44k sq. ft

According to a launch from Lightship this morning, it’s considerably scaling up its all-electric journey trailer manufacturing footprint in Broomfield, Colorado. Construction is already underway to develop the corporate’s present 32,000-square-foot facility by about 44,000 sq. ft.

The expanded trailer manufacturing footprint ought to whole roughly 76,000 sq. ft upon completion, and Lightship shared that operations within the new house may start as early as this summer season. Lightchip co-founder and CEO, Toby Kraus, elaborated:

This growth is a defining second for Lightship. At a time when many corporations on this class are outsourcing their manufacturing and provide chain abroad, we’re doubling down on our dedication to American manufacturing, accelerating innovation and creating high-skill jobs in a area rising as a hub for next-generation mobility.

Lightship shared that 80% of the element worth of the AE.1 journey trailer is sourced domestically within the US, and the brand new manufacturing growth will solely assist the startup in rising vertical integration and its localized benefits.

On that be aware, Lightship additionally introduced some adjustments to the AE.1 lineup, which has now been streamlined for future clients. For instance, the RV’s 77 kWh battery pack was beforehand obtainable solely within the top-tier $184,000 trim, however now comes commonplace throughout all manufacturing variations of the AE.1.

Furthermore, the adjusted beginning value of the trailer is now $157,500, centering on a single, configurable model. Previously, Lightship provided AE.1 Atmos for $184,000 and the AE.1 Panos for $151,000. The firm’s different co-founder and chief product officer, Ben Parker, gave perception into the lineup change:

More than ninety p.c of our clients have chosen the 77 kWh battery. This new lineup makes this standard characteristic extra accessible. We are additionally including choices to offer clients the pliability to tailor the product for residence backup, prolonged journey, short-term rental use, and full-time dwelling. Because we’re a direct-to-consumer model that builds and sources within the U.S., we are able to incorporate real-world suggestions into product enhancements on a a lot shorter cycle.

The full manufacturing growth in Colorado is predicted to be accomplished in about 18 months.