Hillside Leisure Dalbury E - Practical Motorhome

Practical Motorhome's reviewer tries out the world's first electric campervan and asks is this the future of motor caravanning?

Verdict

The Dalbury E is a capable micro-camper as well as being a viable daily drive – assuming you stay on top of keeping the battery charged up. A solar panel fitted to the roof will allow owners to trickle charge the leisure battery.

So who’s going to buy one? Most likely those who like the idea of a road-tax-exempt vehicle with low running costs (no oil changes or transmission services, for starters) for taking regular short breaks away close to home.

Hillside points out that the Dalbury E won’t suit everyone, and says the best way to assess its suitability would be to hire one and try it before you buy.

Hillside has proved that an electric camper is viable, albeit with some limitations. This is a great first effort, and e-campers will get better as the technology improves. Hillside Leisure is based in Chequers Lane, Derby, so why not book a test drive and try out  the Dalbury E for yourself?

Pros

This is the world’s first electric campervan!
A rapid recharge takes just 30 minutes
No road tax
No oil changes
No emissions
Compact micro-camper
With four seatbelts it’s like a car you can camp in
Economical to run

Cons

Recharge every 106 miles
No washroom or loo on board
The bed’s too short for tall couples
The bed is also narrow

Who’d have thought that the world’s first all-electric campervan would be launched in our lifetime? Electric and hybrid cars have gained traction slowly, so the debut of the Hillside Dalbury E micro-camper at last autumn’s  NEC show was surprising. The motorhome industry could have been expected to bring a hybrid camper to market first, as this technology is better established, so hats off to Derby’s Hillside Leisure for doing it first and going all-electric.

The Dalbury E is based on the Nissan e-NV200 Combi mini van, and follows the 2014 launch of the diesel-engined Dalbury, which is based on the NV200.

Hillside views the Dalbury E as a car that can be used as an occasional camper.

The Dalbury E is a capable micro-camper as well as being a viable daily drive

Living

Inside, the conversion features the quality design and build you expect from Hillside Leisure. There’s a rear seat bench with seatbelts that converts easily into a double bed at night.

The lounge is formed by adding an occasional table and rotating the passenger seat.

Kitchen

A pair of gas rings is concealed by a worktop cover that slides into the space vacated by the driver’s seat when pushed forward. These sit atop a compressor fridge and next to a small sink. Storage is available throughout the kitchen unit.

Washroom

There is no washroom, so you’ll need to use campsite facilities, or take a portable potty and perhaps a loo tent or drive-away campervan awning.

Beds

It’s quick and easy to convert the rear seat bench into the only bed, a lie-flat double bed measuring 83m x 1.07m (6’ x 3’6”). It’s a ‘rock-n-roll’ style bed, which will be familiar to anyone who’s ever used a traditional VW campervan.

Storage

There’s storage under the rear seat bench, as well as in the kitchen unit, where tambour doors will stop items flying about when you drive round corners. There are more storage hatches at the rear of the camper, once you’ve opened the rear doors of the ‘van.