The quiet joys of life’s gentle silences are truly precious. The agony of seeking solitude in nature, only to have it shattered by the jarring roar and pungent fumes of a noisy fuel generator, its perpetrator oblivious to the tranquility they’ve disrupted.
California-based company Pebble is pioneering the development of a revolutionary electric journey trailer, poised to introduce a serene and sustainable element to the world of luxury camping, or “glamping”.
The trailblazer is a journey that boasts an enormous, old-fashioned battery embedded in the ground. The off-grid cabin will likely accommodate various utilities, including lighting, bathing, heating, air-conditioning, and any other energy-intensive activities, all situated within a woodland setting. The advanced Movement features include a towing assist function, which leverages the power of the battery to provide a supplementary boost when hauling the camper along a highway, thereby reducing the strain on the vehicle doing the towing.
Although Pebble launched its Movement smartwatch in 2023, the company has yet to fully disclose the comprehensive range of features it plans to integrate into the device. Pebble announces its timeline for assembling and shipping the first campervans in the first half of 2025, coinciding with the Consumer Electronics Show. Pre-orders are now live for these models, starting at $109,000 and ranging up to $135,500 depending on the configuration chosen, which can be managed using a companion mobile app.
Within the Movement
The Movement boasts a sleek, modern design reminiscent of contemporary models, characterized by expansive windows and flowing curves aimed at enhancing its aerodynamics. The sleek, silver behemoth appears to be an avant-garde fusion of intergalactic travel and haute couture, its angular lines and curves tantalizingly suggestive of the infinite possibilities that lie within its gleaming hull. Pebble’s CEO, Bingrui Yang, is romantically inclined towards his venture: He chose the name Pebble because these smooth, natural stones have a tendency to bring people joy, aiming to instill that same sense of tranquility in users of his electrified camper.
I ventured into the compact space housing a Pebble Movement demo unit at Pebble’s Fremont, California, headquarters. This versatile camping equipment hauls nearly everything you’d need when out RV-ing. The interior of this kitchen features a cutting-edge setup, including an induction range, a versatile convection oven, a practical sink, a quick-heating microwave, and a spacious fridge. The cupboards provide ample storage space, while cleverly concealed hatches in the floor offer additional storage opportunities. Windows tend to open freely when allowing a gentle breeze to circulate inside. In this clever design, a queen-size Murphy mattress seamlessly integrates with the surrounding architecture, effortlessly retracting into the wall to liberate valuable floor space. The eating desk will be disassembled and broken down into a secondary mattress on the opposite end of the trailer. A toilet and bathroom properly sit within the confines of the floor plan. A floor-to-ceiling glass partition divides the rest room from the surrounding interior, allowing for an unobstructed view while also maintaining privacy. The individual using the facility can discreetly activate an electronic frosting mechanism on the glass if they desire a more intimate experience.
For seasoned RV enthusiasts, this upscale offering likely seems like standard issue for a trailer priced above $100,000. Pebble, a smartwatch brand, aims to differentiate its products by incorporating electric vehicle (EV)-like features in its Movement series.
The electric camper’s movement is propelled by a 45-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery seamlessly integrated into its structure. The prototype’s dimensions are remarkably compact, approaching those of batteries currently integrated into compact electric vehicles available on the market, and approximately half the size of the industry’s largest electric vehicle battery designs. The Pebble smartwatch claims that its battery can power internal applications for up to seven days on a single charge. A set of 1 kW photovoltaic panels integrated into the roof can partially recharge the battery while driving, with regenerative charging also activating during towing scenarios. With advanced vehicle-to-load technology seamlessly integrated, you can harness its potential as a reliable backup power source or electric vehicle charger, effortlessly connecting your devices and vehicles to a sustainable energy solution.
While the Pebble Movement may share some autonomous capabilities with self-driving cars, it shouldn’t be considered a true Electrically Reconfigurable Vehicle (E-RV) if its primary function is not to transform into another mode of transportation. To transport this rig safely, you’ll need a separate vehicle capable of towing it. While some claim that towing with a hybrid or fossil-fuel-powered vehicle can provide greater range, there are actually benefits to towing with an electric vehicle (EV). The 25-foot trailer, fully laden, tips the scales at a substantial 6,200 kilograms, demanding considerable physical exertion to navigate its bulk effectively. The Pebble website features a striking visual of its smartwatch technology in sync with Tesla’s innovative Cybertruck, showcasing seamless integration and cutting-edge design. As I stood at the company’s headquarters, my gaze fell upon a sleek matte black Cybertruck parked in the lot, its unconventional design drawing attention from passersby. As I recall, it was a topic of conversation for the Chief Technology Officer at Pebble.
The powered towing assist feature will toggle on automatically when the vehicle is in motion. While the motors provide a genuine thrust comparable to that of a real car, they are capable of propelling the Robot autonomously around a small area using a smartphone app, albeit at a pace of approximately 1 mile per hour. While that is sufficient to spin it in a really gradual circle, it’s nowhere near enough to propel you even halfway down the street. With this feature, you can effortlessly position the trailer at the campsite without the hassle of physically pushing or dragging it alongside your vehicle. Carefully detach the device from its cradle, grasp your iPad firmly, and guide it with deliberate precision to its desired location, much like navigating a remote-controlled vehicle onto a designated track. When engaging tow-assist mode or navigating the campsite with the trailer in tow, the trailer’s battery life is likely to be significantly reduced, necessitating careful planning for optimal camping experiences.
Pebble boasts a feature dubbed Magic Hitch, which allows users to connect their smartphone to the trailer hitch of their tow vehicle through the app, leveraging Bluetooth technology to establish a seamless connection. With the display screen’s controls, simply navigate to the desired location and, once the movement is shut off, press the button; the hitch will utilize its integrated digital camera to pinpoint the optimal attachment point.
The InstaCamp feature enables you to effortlessly park your trailer on an irregular surface and then simply press a button for the camper to self-level seamlessly.
