Campervan holidays have often suffered from an image problem, appearing as not the most glamorous of holiday choices. Until now that is. These days, the average traveller is far more aware of their impact on the planet, which is why the trend of the “staycation” has seen a small boom in the last couple of years with travel-conscious Brits.
The Vehicle
Born in Brighton with a passion for exploring and a respect for the planet, ‘Eve’ is the first in a new range of luxury, eco-electric campervans from the design team at Wild Drives.
Designed to give her guests a guilt free ride on the wild side. With more people choosing to travel more continuously, Wild Drives is an option that provides a luxury campervan experience, without compromising comfort or the plant.
Eve is based on a 2021 Citroen E-dispatch with a range of 150 miles. You can charge her from 0%-80% in 40 minutes which is pretty nifty and she looks good too. There’s an airy pop-up roof, five seats, two double beds, a fridge, toilet, and an induction hob powered by solar panels which means they are off-grid and use renewable solar power, which when connected to the leisure battery system powers the entire campervan system with clean solar electricity. You don’t even need to pay the cost of charging.
The Founder
Founded by Lewis Nyman, a UX designer and digital nomad, Wild Drives offers sustainably minded adventurers a chance to enjoy guilt free travel in a cutting-edge electric ride that provides up to 150 miles with one charge. Customised with interior decor choices by the team at Wild Drives, with a base design layout from campervan converters Love Campers, Eve is setting the bar for sustainable campervan travel with luxury as a priority.
Lewis is no stranger to life on the road, having spent nine years working remotely on projects for high profile clients including The Ministry of Justice, Kew Gardens, Royal Mail and Comic Relief. His first van was an electric blue 2001 VW transporter called Arnie which he took through the stunning countryside of France and Spain ending up in Portugal. This sparked a deep admiration for natural landscape as it allowed for numerous impromptu stops en route – waking up to the sunrise, which were only possible thanks to his camper.
A Eureka moment followed, with Lewis deciding to live in the van and kit it out with everything they needed for a planet-loving lifestyle. Already embracing an eco-friendly ethos, this was the next step in embracing a more minimal way of living, without the need (or space) for unnecessary material possessions. It also complemented their passion for Mother Earth.
Lewis says, “Being so close to nature is the best thing about staying in a campervan. The world is your garden. I couldn’t ignore the cognitive dissonance of enjoying all of what nature has to offer while driving a fuel guzzling van spluttering toxic fumes into the environment. I had to do something about it and Eve was born”
For more information, please contact Lewis Nyman on lewis@wilddrives.co.uk or visit https://www.wilddrives.co.uk.