Let me first introduce myself. I am Maarten, and the father of Tonke for 19 years. Literally, because she is my daughter. But so is the lovely company where we build very cool motorhomes with the same name. I also have a son, Willem, also such a nice guy. He is 16 years old.
Many customers from the first hour still know me, but in recent years you don’t have to deal with me as a customer very often anymore. And that, of course, is quite a shame. That’s why Marcha, a great employee in marketing, asked me to write a column. I think that’s super fun. Reflecting on what you are experiencing, what exciting developments there are, and so on. I hope this is the start of a nice tradition.

A while back, I was asked to participate in a sustainability conference on the motorhome industry. I found it a particularly instructive afternoon. There I was on a stage with a microphone in front of me. In the audience were many motorhome owners. What was so instructive?

The moderator of the conference expressed the expectation that an EV camper would cost about the same as a diesel camper around 2030. Maybe that’s true for the larger motorhomes. But for the smaller motorhomes, we have been there NOW for a few months. The Tonke ID.Buzz costs, very complete and with almost all options around 95,000,- (but you can buy it from 54,500,- if you choose fewer options!) A comparable VW California costs 107,000,-. Or more! In other words: an EV motorhome ìis already cheaper than a diesel or hybrid! Who could have thought that 5 years ago….

And that is just the purchase. Anyone who has driven an EV knows how comfortable it is. Tonke opts for the long ID.Buzz with the bigger battery and more range. 487km according to the WLTP test, real range: 350km in winter and 450km in summer. Ownership and use is SO beneficial and offers so much comfort, this is a ‘silent revolution’ as far as I’m concerned!

Next to the ID.Buzz we have the Mercedes EQV, my personal favourite. This EV offers slightly less range (300 km winter, 400 km summer) but offers more space than the ID.Buzz. It has recently had an update with a new dashboard and many standard safety features on board. A truly great driving EV campervan!

Secretly, we also know that an EV is much better for the environment. I personally find that an important argument. Yet I always ask our team not to emphasise that. Because it’s not ‘sexy’ and it sounds like you are making a choice where you have to ‘compromise’ on comfort or financially. The biggest joke of all is that it is so not! Because now think about it: the comfort is bizarrely good, it is cheaper (yes even without subsidies and with road tax), there is hardly any maintenance. The heater runs on electricity and therefore doesn’t smell. The car is noiseless and perfect for daily use. The range is great and takes our hundreds of customers all over Europe. Charging stations are being added everywhere. The purchase price is already cheaper than a diesel, and so is ownership. And you also help the environment. Shush, shush, don’t tell anyone!

Don’t care about the environment? Then choose an EV campervan, it’s great to drive, cheap and extremely comfortable. Really fun to drive. Do you care about the environment? Then choose an EV campervan, and preferably use it for daily driving as well. You’ll save yourself a passenger car.

We like to listen to customers.
In North/West Europe, EV camping is fully proven as far as we are concerned. Hundreds of customers tell us enthusiastically about their experiences. But maybe you would like to travel further, and be able to drive to Eastern Europe, Asia or Africa. Great plan! We will soon have a solution for that. We are working on a motorhome with hybrid drive. A plug-in hybrid, that is. So local traffic you can drive electric, and the distances you bridge on fuel. Perhaps the best of both worlds. Stay-tuned!

Finally, I have a question: from now on, I will be answering questions from customers on a regular basis. If you have a question, please email it to us. Who knows, maybe your question can serve as a basis for my column. Thank you and kind regards!

Maarten.