New electric motorhome to be launched later this year

California-based start-up Pebble Mobility will later this year offer an all-electric motorhome or recreational vehicle (RV) it says is unlike anything in the market today.

For decades RV owners have struggled with the same issues – parking, refuelling, constant maintenance, says Pebble which promises to change that.

After leading hardware development at Cruise and spending 10 years leading iPhone development at Apple, Pebble’s chief executive and founder Bingrui Yang has set his sights on automating the hardest parts of RVing and making life on the road more accessible.

The rest of the team includes former employees from Tesla, Cruise, Zoox and Volvo, using their expertise to create an RV that incorporates the most advanced automotive technology available.

Pebble Mobility has NZ$21.95 million (US$13.6m) in seed series A funding from Lightspeed, Vision+ and UpHonest Capital, mainly for its forthcoming flagship 100% electric, hassle-free RV built to automate the hardest parts of RVing and make the experience more accessible.

The RV Industry Association reports that two out of five new buyers purchased their RV because they wanted a place to stay and explore the outdoors while still having access to their work.

However, traditional RVs and travel trailers come with a set of problems, including insufficient energy storage, outdated technology and design, poor towing experience, high fuel costs, constant maintenance and safety issues, says Pebble Mobility.

Pebble integrates some of the most advanced automotive and electric vehicle technology available to streamline the user experience.

The interior is designed as a fully furnished, eco-friendly living space equipped with everything users need to work, sleep, explore and relax comfortably.

It’s powered by renewable energy sources with an energy capacity that allows users to live off-grid for up to seven days.

“Consumers have been stuck with the same RV experience for decades,” says Yang.

“A lot of people want to get into such a lifestyle of freedom but are turned off by the pain points in today’s products.

“At Pebble, we are automating the hardest parts of the RV experience with the same technologies that power the most advanced automotive innovations, making the whole experience simply effortless and magical. If you know how to use an iPhone, you’ll be comfortable using our product.”

Yang is joined by chief technology officer Stefan Solyom, who brings more than 20 years’ experience in the automotive and tech industries.

Solyom was a founding member of the Tesla Autopilot team and spent seven years at Apple and 10 years at Volvo Cars as a top technical leader focused on safety and autonomous systems.

The rest of the Pebble team brings additional expertise from Cruise, Lucid Motors and other leading technology and automotive companies.

Click here for more information on Pebble.