Lightship, which claims to be America’s first all-electric RV company, has signed a lease agreement for a 32,000-square-foot facility at a business park in Broomfield, Colorado. The space will house the company’s pilot manufacturing operations for the Lightship L1, an aerodynamic, solar and battery-powered travel trailer that launched in March.
Lightship is expected to move in and begin operations in 2024. The company projects it will add more than 100 area jobs in high-tech manufacturing and clean technology over the next few years.
“Colorado is the ideal location for our first production facility,” said Toby Kraus, Lightship co-founder and CEO. “This is a big milestone for Lightship and a stepping stone to ultimately producing thousands of units in the future and helping to introduce electrification to a pastime enjoyed by millions of American families. I grew up in Colorado and am thrilled for Lightship to set up its first production facility and contribute to the growing ecosystem of climate tech and hardware manufacturing in my home state.”
Lightship was co-founded by Ben Parker and Kraus, both former employees of Tesla, who said they saw room for innovation in the RV industry just as Tesla had caused disruption to the car market when it launched.
The company said its Broomfield location allows it to pull from a strong labor pool that includes Denver, Boulder and surrounding areas. The new site will expand Lightship’s Colorado and California operations and represents a key indicator of the company’s projected growth as it ramps up large-scale production.
Lightship plans to showcase its L1 all-electric RV at various events in Colorado throughout the year, including the Overland Expo Mountain West in Loveland, Colorado from Aug. 25-27.
