Volta Power Systems, a provider of mobile li-ion power systems, has joined forces with Forest River Inc. to equip many of its motor coaches with a secondary lithium system.
Volta will be an option on Mercedes platforms sold under Forest River, including the Sunseeker, Forester and Solera brands. With 13,500 watt-hours (Wh) of usable energy, buyers will be able to run their favorite high-power amenities – including all-night air conditioning – while eliminating the need for a generator or vehicle idling.
“We aim to align with how consumer preferences are evolving, which are increasingly sustainability focused. These new motor coaches respond to that need with a simple, quiet, generator-free camping experience,” said Kary Katzenberger, sales and product manager for the Forest River Sunseeker brand. “We want each of our vehicles to feel like home away from home, and partnering with Volta on these Class Cs is one of the ways we’re providing that feeling to our customers.”
In addition to the 13,500 watt-hours of energy storage, each vehicle features a 7,000-watt alternator that maximizes engine efficiency while driving to charge the Volta system. This reduces reliance on shore power and eliminates the need for an auxiliary generator. The system also includes a 3,200-watt inverter that converts stored energy to safely power common appliances like the air conditioning unit, coffee maker, microwave, slow-cooker, TV and more.
Vehicle owners will be able to charge their Volta systems in two ways, depending on their power needs and how they choose to travel. Charging options include plugging directly into a shore power connection as well as the system’s secondary alternator that generates power off waste energy while the engine is running.
“Forest River has been a core pillar of the RV industry for decades, and we’re incredibly excited to partner with them on their latest Class C offerings,” said Jon Mulder, Volta’s vice president of sales. “We can’t wait for their buyers to experience the freedom and flexibility of one of our systems.”
While Forest River is offering the Volta system on their Mercedes-Benz sprinter chassis first, they plan to offer it on all models, including the Dodge Ram. Forest River’s Volta-equipped Class C vehicles are already available for order and will be ready to ship beginning March of 2024. Forest River and Volta previewed the new vehicles at the 2024 Florida RV SuperShow in January, receiving positive feedback from retail customers.
