It’s rad you could now dwell the van life in a completely electrical car with usable vary. With almost 300 miles of vary on a cost, AWD, two van lengths to select from, and 1000’s of configuration choices, the brand new Grounded G3 campervan has loads going for it.
However, I do see some points in relation to utilizing this van for journey. The largest of that is the key lack of inside house because of the separate driving compartment — extra on that later. And, the van has poor floor clearance and a really poor breakover angle — keep away from tough terrain.
However, let’s dive into the small print of the most recent electrical campervan to hit the U.S. market.
BrightDrop Van Platform
Constructed on the all-electric 2026 Chevrolet BrightDrop Zevo 400 or 600 chassis, the G3 delivers as much as a 286-mile mixed vary on a single cost. The G3’s native quick charging plug is CCS, however the van additionally comes with a CCS-to-NACS adapter for entry to Tesla Superchargers.
Whereas the van has all-wheel drive (AWD), it has minimal floor clearance (7.51 inches) and a really poor breakover angle (9-ish levels). It’s because the wheels are pushed out to all 4 corners to optimize inside quantity. Any off-road — and even rough-road — excursions are possible a really unhealthy thought on this van.
The Chevy BrightDrop Zevo van platform additionally provides up security options like Enhanced Computerized Emergency Braking, Ahead Collision Alert, and extra. It additionally has an 11,000-pound gross-vehicle weight score (GVWR), which implies it will probably haul numerous gear.
Grounded G3 Campervan
“The G3 is a next-gen providing for vacationers who wish to dwell, work, and roam in consolation, grounded in what issues,” stated Grounded CEO Sam Shapiro.
“The G3 builds on every thing we realized from our clients and from the G2. It’s a ground-up reimagining of our good, fully-electric RV that’s primarily based on real-world use. We changed wooden cabinetry with sturdy aluminum frames and 100% recycled tree-free supplies, refined each wall panel and furnishings module to ship designer-grade aesthetics with pro-functionality, added a motorized raise mattress that transforms right into a California King, and designed a brand new insulated rear door that improves power effectivity with out sacrificing the view.
“We additionally reengineered {the electrical} system for 1,400W vehicle-to-house charging and added self-heating batteries to allow four-season journey. Each enchancment from supplies to structure was formed by suggestions from G2 house owners. The G3 is smarter, stronger, and extra adaptable than some other providing available on the market right now.”
G3 Fashions
- G3 Type ($165K): A minimalist construct with a queen mattress and important furnishings
- G3 Operate ($180K): Provides expanded kitchen, lounge, and energy for prolonged journeys
- G3 Freedom ($200K): Max battery, Starlink, raise mattress, rest room, and “bespoke” finishes (pictured all through this story)
G3 Options
The Grounded G3 campervan could be optioned with a ton of creature comforts. Listed below are a number of the large objects: A/C and warmth, 7-gallon Bosch electrical water heater, 16-gallon contemporary water tank (inside van), 22-gallon grey water tank (beneath van, however elective tank heating pad obtainable), 1,000 W of photo voltaic, as much as 20kWh of LiFePO batteries, a 1,400W vehicle-to-house charging system, and Starlink web.
All onboard techniques are managed by way of the Grounded+ App. This offers house owners distant entry to energy utilization, tank ranges, equipment controls, and system diagnostics through LTE or Bluetooth. A cool function of the app is that it auto-adjusts to the client’s particular construct configuration.
The cabinetry is constructed with aluminum framing after which completed with 100% recycled materials, which is customizable in numerous colours and textures.
Giant home windows, two on both sides and one within the rear door, present pure mild and panoramic views. Additionally they have built-in bug netting and blackout shades.
One cool function on the top-tier G3 Freedom mannequin is a drop-down full-size mattress. It rises to the ceiling above the rear dinette for max room and lowers to supply an higher bunk. The dinette can convert to a California King–measurement mattress, or two twin beds, as pictured above.
The Freedom mannequin additionally has a brand new pull-out drawer within the rear of the van. It provides a countertop for cooking and eating, in addition to storage.
4-Season Camper
One large improve over the earlier Grounded electrical campervans is its skill to function in decrease temperatures. The corporate says the G3 is “constructed to function in temperatures as little as 0°F with out compromising consolation or energy availability.” No, that’s not all that chilly within the scheme of issues, however will work in most components of the nation year-round.
This cold-weather improve to the camper was completed with improved insulation, particularly 2-inch-thick EPS foam and a brand new again door design. The BrightDrop van comes with a roll-up door, however Grounded has changed that with a brand new full-width swing-out door on the G3. This vastly improves the insulation on this space of the van, provides extra mounting factors for gear, provides a window, and will increase standing top on the rear of the van.
One Huge Downside
The most effective issues about campervans is that all the car can be utilized as dwelling house. Sadly, that isn’t this system with the Grounded G3.
The entrance passenger seating space is just about completely for street journey, and never camp life. There’s a sliding door that separates that space from the remainder of the camper, which provides privateness, safety, and thermal effectivity to the dwelling quarters. However, this setup lops off a ton of dwelling house that conventional campervans have on provide with their swiveling entrance seats.
Shopping for a Grounded G3 Electrical Campervan
The very first thing you’ll possible wish to do for those who’re occupied with proudly owning certainly one of these electrical campervans is use the Grounded on-line Configurator Instrument. It means that you can construct out your G3 campervan intimately. Assume flooring plan, cabinetry shade, mattress material, countertop texture, elective upgrades, and extra. The configurator reveals the construct in 3D and means that you can expertise the mannequin from nearly any angle.
When you’ve designed your van, you hit submit. The Grounded staff then follows up with you to dial within the particulars and presumably take a deposit.
Impressively, the BrightDrop van has an 8-year/100,000-mile guarantee. The Grounded inside construct has a 1-year guarantee.
If the two-passenger structure on provide within the G3 isn’t sufficient to your wants, Grounded says it’s creating authorized rear seating for journey, which is anticipated to be obtainable within the fall.
