Ari Motors, a Germany-based car business selling Chinese imports in Europe, has unveiled the so-called Ari 458 Pro Camper. It is a fully electric vehicle that’s under four meters long and commands all of 2.8 square meters (30 square feet) of living space – probably the least space we’ve seen in any home on wheels.
The body of the EV is 3,820 mm (149.2 inches) long – shorter than the current Mini Cooper and even the fourth-gen Mazda MX-5 Miata. The ceiling height is specified as 1,850 mm (72.3 inches) “max.”, leaving us to guess whether it isn’t consistent front to back. The driver’s cockpit features a digital dash, a reversing camera, a Bluetooth radio and power windows. AC, solar panels and a trailer hitch are all available as extras.
Then there’s the elephant in the room: the interior of the alleged camper isn’t shown anywhere. Ari Motors explains that owners are free to furnish their vehicles however they want using the available aftermarket offerings. This means that you’re buying an empty space – no bed of any kind, no kitchenware, no boxes or storage organizers. For what it’s worth, the company claims it plans to add a “minimal” furnished option to the list at a later date. There’s no info on what exactly will be included, though.
Power for the Ari 458 Pro Camper comes from a single electric motor rated at 20 PS (20 hp / 15 kW). It allows the subcompact ride to attain a top speed of 70 km (43.5 mph). There are several battery options, but the largest one is rated at a so-so 230 km (143 miles). On the upside, Europe categorizes this kind of vehicle as a quadricycle, meaning it can be driven by 16-year-olds in most EU countries.
Then there’s the price. Ari expects you to hand over at least €30,381 for the camper in Germany and have enough remaining for all the furnishings. The question is, would you be tempted?
