Victoria becomes global leader in caravan electrification

Victoria has become a global leader in the electrification of caravans which can be used to power homes and save people thousands in energy bills.

Victoria is on track to become the world’s manufacturing capital of a “new age” of electric caravans which can be used to charge cars and power entire houses, saving people thousands in power bills.

The state’s booming caravan industry — which produces about 93 per cent of Australia’s 30,000 caravans each year — has emerged as a world leader in the electrification of caravans and RVs which are expected to dominate the sector within the next decade.

A new revolutionary electric chassis for caravans was built in Victoria by OzXcorp co-founder Andrew Huett who said the technology would “change the way caravans are used”.

He said the technology would allow people to charge their cars and power their houses by plugging into their caravans.

“It’s the best of both worlds because you transfer an asset that would normally be stuck against the wall of a house into your trailer or caravan,” he said.

“People don’t trust the grid anymore. I think energy resilience is what people are really seeking because when the grid goes down they’re not affected.

“More importantly it gives people the freedom to choose where you want to go tomorrow without being reliant on power from the grid”.

Andrew Huett’s caravans can charge electric vehicles and even power homes. Picture: Supplied

Since 2018 more than 30 caravan brands across Australia have adopted the technology which includes up to 15 solar panels on the caravan roof and a lithium battery.

An ERV caravan built with OzXcorp’s technology is priced from $109k.

Michelle Nowicki, who owns a caravan with Mr Huett’s technology said she had saved more than $4000 a year by using it to power her Myrtleford house.

“When we’re home we plug the caravan in to power our tools, for our meals and all of our power in general,” she said.

“It’s so mobile that if you want to go out and about you can take it with you and then come back and plug it back in and it’s like being in a normal house again”.

Myrtleford mother Michelle Nowicki inside her new home in northeast Victoria that is powered by her caravan. Picture: Supplied

It comes as average energy prices in Victoria have risen by about 25 per cent in the last two years.

Daniel Sahlberg, chief executive of Caravan Industry Victoria, said the electrification of caravans was an important part of the industry’s growth.

“Our industry for a long time has been leading the pack and there’s a lot of opportunities with our technology to advance and evolve,” he said.

Andrew Huett (right), co-founder of OzXcorp with Caravan Industry Victoria chief executive Daniel Sahlberg. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

This shift comes as the caravan industry in Victoria continues to grow at a rapid rate and has now become bigger than what the state’s once powerful car industry was.

The sector received a massive boost in 2015 through the establishment of the National Training College in Melbourne — where students and workers learn caravan specific courses — which has helped create a pathway within the industry.

“Now we’ve got a national framework where we can upskill existing employees and also create a funnel into our industry to get employees,” Mr Sahlberg said.