The following is a report from AutoEvolution.
Not to get too philosophical about it, but life is a continuous, never-ending series of moments where you have to make a choice. But here’s one aspect where you could do without: choosing between a motorhome and a camper van.
That’s the idea behind the Challenger X, one of the most popular ranges of compact motorhomes from French manufacturer Challenger Motorhomes. The X is marketed as small and as easy to use as a camper van (or panel van, or however else you want to call it), but packed with the kind of functionality and comfort you’d only find in larger motorhomes.
In other words, why choose between a motorhome and a camper van when you can have the advantages of both in a single vehicle? That vehicle would be the X, which, thanks to a smart layout and great optimization of available space, lives much larger than you’d imagine it could.
The Challenger X range is comprised of two different models, one bigger than the other: the X250 and the X150, as we also noted in a previous cover story. Both offer sleeping for four people, four belted seats and seating at the dining table for one person more. Both have nice, if wet, bathrooms, and deploy creative thinking to create an ingenious and large wardrobe.
As Challenger Motorhomes announced in the fall of 2024, both will get the ElectriX treatment, which Romain Girard, head of marketing & communication at Trigano VDL, describes in an interview as the first step towards the full electrification of the Challenger brand. Sister Chausson models will also get the ElectriX variants.
True to their word, Challenger Motorhomes worked on the idea and, earlier this year, debuted an ElectriX prototype at CMT 2025 in Stuttgart. The video available at the bottom of the page was shot on that occasion and shows the 2025 X150 ElectriX in the Open Edition.
Girard calls this a “first” step because it’s not a standard EV conversion of an existing vehicle. Instead, the standard X150 gets an electric drivetrain, so that it can operate in dual modes.
The Challenger X150 is built on a Fiat Ducato chassis with a standard 2.2-liter 140-hp gas engine that can be upgraded to 180 hp as an option. The X150 ElectriX gets a 115-kW electric motor on the rear axle, powered by a 37-kWh battery pack that offers an estimated per-charge range of 100 km (62 miles), with a full charge achievable in 25 minutes.
The X150 ElectriX can only be operated in either gas mode or electric mode, which the manufacturer also calls the ElectriX mode, but not a combination of the two. This allows Challenger Motorhomes to claim it’s a “new type” of hybrid, because it’s not a traditional hybrid vehicle.
Combined estimated range is of about 900 km (559 miles), but buyers are looking at losing about 100 kg (220 lbs) worth of payload in return. Girard explains that the ElectriX mode adds 400 kg (882 lbs) to the RV, but new French legislation doesn’t include the 300 kg (661 lbs) of batteries in the vehicle’s weight rating.
Click here to read the full report by Elena Gorgan at AutoEvolution.
