XBUS camper
The Xbus brings a new take on a small camper bus/people carrier. Its main competitor is the VW ID Buzz, albeit the Xbus leads with its modular base and configurable components. It is a very promising concept that has gained over 1.5 million EUR in crowdfunding in 2021 and I’m sure will lead the way of electric camper vans in years to come.
The Xbus is not for everyone – it is being developed with environmental and economic credentials as the brands’ main priority, therefore some compromises in terms of how many people it can carry or top speed need to be made. But I am sure it will find its place in many people’s hearts. I am definitely looking forward to it! The company behind the XBUS (ElectricBrands) has hired 13 new employees in 2022 with the work on Xbus underway, albeit with possible delays because of the unprovoked attack on Ukraine by Russia. BTW, the Xbus Camper is the most sought-after variant of the Xbus (in the private sector). Campers know what’s good, especially nimble campers! 😉 That’s also the reason, why the company has decided to build the camper as their next test vehicle that they will take to shows and exhibitions to collect feedback. Real images (not mockups) to follow soon. Watch this space!
I have estimated the interior dimensions, but as the vehicle is a camper by design, it can’t be compared fairly to other MPVs. I am giving it a 4.5/5 rating for now, as it’s looking to be a great camper, but will adjust this accordingly as more information surfaces.
NimbleCamper rating: 4.5/5
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Key information
| Body type | |
|---|---|
| Make | |
| Boot length (cm) | 210 |
| Boot height (cm) | 140, 85 |
| Boot width [wheel arches] (cm) | 130 |
| Engine type | |
| Available in | |
| Boot door type | |
| EV Range (km) | 170 |
| Made in | DE |
| Plug type | |
| NimbleCamper rating (out of max 5) |
- Launch date: 2024
- Estimated price at launch: from 29.480 € / £29,727(1, 2)
- Standard & Offroad versions
- Electronically controlled 4-wheel drive recuperating electric motors and output of > 1,000 Nm torque
- consumption: 10 kWh battery / range 200km (city, 140km mixed) or 30 kWh/600km extendable (each new battery module adds 25km city range)
- 220V charging port (3hrs to 80%) or upgrade to get a fast charging port 11KW Type2 to charge up to 80% in one hour
- Solar Roof (4.1m2 in 3 combined solar panels up to 800W per hour)
- Pop-up roof
- Energy Recuperation
- Keyless Entry & Go
- Camping module (top – extendable roof + rear)
- Manual sliding rear windows (great if you are parked with keys out of the fob and need to open/close the window)
- Couch surface approx. L210cm – W130cm
- Space-saving kitchen with a sink, refrigerator and hotplate
- TV, fresh water tank
- 2x USB and 2x USB-C slots in the front
- Full specs & equipment
- 95% recyclable – “We developed the XBUS with the vision of being one of the most environmentally-friendly vehicles on the market. This is not only measured in terms of the pure emissions while driving but also in the context of production and recycling“
- confirmed to be produced in the Netherlands
Some images credit: CrownXbus.co.uk and Electrek.co
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Frequently asked questions
XBUS interior dimensions
I have estimated the sleeping area height and the closed kitchen roof (in normal driving position) height using the model below and presuming that green figure is 180cm tall.
- Exterior length (cm): 395
- Exterior height (cm): 196
- Exterior width (cm): 163
- Wheelbase (cm): 220
- Sleeping length (cm): 210 (with extended pull-out bed section at the back) and estimated 80-85cm high
- Bed width (cm): 130
- Pop-up roof height (cm): 220 (kitchen area) and estimated 140cm with the roof in normal position
- Sleeps 2 people (and quite possibly a dog…)
Xbus Camper videos & walkthroughs
International information and distribution
- UK – CrownXbus.co.uk
- DE & rest of EU – ElectricBrands.de
- Find a retailer near you: Xbus Retailer Search
Where can you see the Xbus next?
Check out the Xbus Roadshow page for future dates: https://electricbrands.de/en/roadshow/
1 review for XBUS camper
- Average used price, GBP (2015) – I use Carsite.co.uk‘s price aggregates from 2015 (or the nearest possible year if not available), or, if not found, from autoscout24.com. For new cars, I specify the closest possible match (i.e. if released this year, it’s the new price, if released two years ago, it’s the 2-years old price etc). It’s here to give you a benchmark comparison (- a like for like, an apple with an apple) of the value of each car and for filtering purposes. It’s not meant to be used as an accurate estimate of used car value – it is updated once a year, so make sure you know what the car should cost at the time of purchase if you decide to buy one.
- Boot dimensions – taken from various sources across the web, starting with official, supplemented with other reliable websites (like ridc.org.uk), supplemented by user-generated content – images of measurements from forums or social networks. It’s also used for filtering, comparison and to give you a good idea of the car’s suitability for camping.
- Comfort rating – a benchmark used to simplify the car’s comfort & driving score based on equipment, furnishings, handling, safety, and costs ratings from external sources like whatcar.com, carwow.co.uk, autocar.co.uk etc. It gives you an indication of whether the car will drive and feel like a van (low rating) or offer better interior & handling (higher rating). A simple van-like car, for example, a Renault Kangoo is 0.5, a well equipped and comfortable car like a Ford S-Max is a 2. No hard math behind it, just an indicator, f.e. 0.5= basic car that does the job, 1.5 = hey, that’s nice to have!, 2 = oooh, comfyyyy.
- Consumption – I take the average 2017 consumption or closest match from Fuelly.com, or if none is available, from other sources like honestjohn.co.uk. If there are not enough cars for a single year, an average for several years is calculated.
- NimbleCamper rating – a weighted score of boot length (45% weight), boot height (40%), consumption (10%) and comfort (5%). The logic of weighing length & height higher than consumption and comfort is – headroom is important when you sleep in the back of the car, so is the length. A comfy ride is a factor, but you can sleep in a big car that’s not that comfy, however, it’s much harder to camp/sleep in a comfy car that’s too small. Read more about the NimbleCamper rating and criteria here.
- a note for EVs (electric vehicles) – for consumption, I am using the Fuel Equivalent Consumption estimate by ev-database.org. It is usually much lower than combustion engines, giving EVs an advantage – which I think is fair. They do have a small disadvantage in terms of having to plan your trips around charging stations + longer waiting time, but that will get better over time. More charging stations, faster chargers and better batteries. Therefore I am not adjusting the calculation for EVs in any way.
- In short: a litre of petrol contains about 8.9 kWh of energy. If we divide the energy consumption of an EV by this (f.e. 16 kWh/100 km divided by 8.9 kWh/litre), we get equivalent fuel consumption of 1.8 l/100 km.
- EV stats – taken from ev-database.org
Lukas –
NimbleCamper rating: 4.5/5. I have estimated the interior dimensions, but as the vehicle is a camper by design, it can’t be compared fairly to other MPVs. I am giving it a 4.5/5 rating for now, as it’s looking to be a great camper, but will adjust this accordingly as more information surfaces.