Last week at the 2024 Elkhart RV Dealer Open House, Thor Industries unveiled a new vehicle: the first hybrid class A motorhome. Thor collaborated with Harbinger Motors to develop the test vehicle that debuted at the three-day event.
Despite early concerns that electric motors might struggle with larger vehicles like RVs, Thor’s test vehicle boasts an estimated 500-mile range. It runs on an electric motor and battery system, recharged by a low-emissions gasoline range extender. Solar panels on the motorhome’s roof also provide additional charge.
Thor operates many subsidiaries, including Airstream, Heartland RV, Jayco, Dutchmen, and Keystone RV. The company has yet to determine which subsidiary will offer the hybrid vehicle, but according to a release from Thor, RVs with the hybrid chassis will become commercially available in 2025.
In that release, THOR Industries President and CEO Bob Martin said that electrification will play a central role in the future of the RV industry.
“THOR’s Harbinger platform positions our family of companies to efficiently bring best-in-class hybrid Class A products to the market,” Martin said in the release. “These innovative vehicles will create significant points of differentiation for our companies by delivering superior experiences to consumers.”
