As the old saying goes, “necessity breeds ingenuity.” Such was the case for the Chief Scientist at a company called Potential Motors. When his four-wheel drive Sprinter van continually got stuck while traveling off-road, Chris Newton returned to the drawing board to design a better vehicle. The result was the Adventure 1, a small—but highly capable—electric camper van designed for overlanding and boondocking.
The idea behind the Adventure 1 is to seamlessly combine comfort and capability. Potential’s goal is to create a vehicle that offers the smooth ride and storage capacity of an SUV while giving it the off-road chops of a UTV. By combing those unique characteristics, owners get a go-anywhere RV that is rugged enough to survive remote travel but has plenty of amenities too.
But creating a capable and comfortable off-road vehicle wasn’t enough of a challenge. The designers at Potential also wanted the Adventure 1 to go easy on the environment. To accomplish that, they made it an all-electric model with dual motors offering 604 horsepower and 737 lb-ft. of torque. Its modestly-sized battery pack gives it a range of about 100 miles.
When it comes to off-road performance, the Adventure 1 is no slouch. The RV has a ground clearance of 12.9″ and approach and departure angles of 40º and 45º, respectively. Its 105″ wheelbase provides plenty of stability, while its 64″ width allows it to glide through tight spaces with ease. The little vehicle also comes with an active suspension and an intelligent onboard system—dubbed Off-Road OS—that adjusts damping and stiffness for maximum performance on the fly. It is even completely air-tight, which makes fording rivers and streams a nonissue.
Potential says the Adventure 1 can comfortably sleep two and has seating for four. It comes with a full-size bed and a modular pull-out kitchen with a two-burner propane stove, a refrigerator, and a sink. Running water is supplied by the onboard 40-liter fresh water tank. The vehicle also has more than 2,500 liters of dry interior storage for carrying all of your gear. The two rear seats can even be removed to make room for a pair of motorized dirt bikes.
The Adventure 1 is available for preorder now with a $1,000 fully-refundable deposit. MSRP for the vehicle is $136,600, and Potential says it will only sell a limited number of the off-road vehicle. The preorder process includes a call with the company’s leadership team to better understand the customer’s specific needs. After that, a company’s “adventure consultants” will offer advice on personalizing the RV and provide updates throughout the development and build process.
For more information on the Adventure 1, check out the video above andvisit the Potential Motors website.