Bailey Caravans goes electric with launch of Orion Evo-4

Bailey Caravans has teamed up with the University of Bath to create a lighter, more affordable version of the popular Orion 430-4.

Known as the Bailey Orion Evo-4, this new Alu-Tech tourer features a bold blue and silver exterior design, and on the inside it has been redesigned with the habits of modern caravanners in mind.

Following extensive customer research, Bailey has found that only 8.5 per cent of caravanners regularly use their 12v leisure battery as their primary source of power.

For this reason, the Bristol-based company taken the bold step of stripping out the leisure battery and significantly reducing the size of the gas bottle, meaning that this caravan is designed to be used primarily with on-site 240v electric hook-ups.

This has had a noticeable impact on the specification; with the caravan oven and grill being removed in favour of a Daewoo Combi-Microwave, and the Thetford Spares three-burner gas hob being replaced by a two-burner gas hob and a single electric hotplate.

What's more, the refrigerator and the water and space heaters are now electric-only. The rest of this popular four-berth, fixed double bed layout remains the same.

Lighter and cheaper

As a result of all these changes, the Orion Evo-4 weighs in at around 100kg less than the standard Orion and will cost roughly £1,000 less to buy (equating to an estimated MTPLM of 1,147kg and a price tag in the region of £12,500).

This also means that Evo-4 owners will not only be getting a much cheaper tourer, but also a more environmentally friendly product, as it won't have such a big impact on your towcar's petrol consumption.

Bailey is keen to gauge public reaction to this new 'van when it goes on display later this month at the Motorhome, Caravan and Camping Show (London Excel Centre, 14th-19th February), and Molly Buckingham, the project designer, will be on hand to listen to customer feedback.

If it proves to be a hit, then this exciting new concept could be rolled out across the entire Bailey Orion range.