Alpine Introduces the Cross Cabin Concept Van

The new Cross Cabin vehicle design by Alpine combines mobility, remote work and quality leisure time in this revolutionary concept van. The world-famous manufacturer of premium navigation and sound systems for motorhomes and camper vans demonstrates industry-first ideas and concepts in this vehicle.

Since 2020 many employees work remotely from home. What started as a safety measure for a limited time, turned into a global trend that is here to stay. But working remotely does not necessarily tie you to your home, so the concept of “workcations” was born already years ago. What used to be a privilege exclusive to digital nomads, could now be experienced by the “new remote office worker” as well. After extensive research and interviews of experienced and new remote office workers in major German cities, we concluded, that the huge interest in workcations requires a new type of vehicle specifically designed for the purpose of remote work. Most interviewees do have the opportunity and agreement of their employer for such workcations, allowing them to work remotely for days and weeks from any place they like – as long as a suitable workspace and fast internet connection are provided, and good work output can be guaranteed.

Work Anywhere – Stay Anywhere: The Alpine Cross Cabin Concept Van

“We started to think of a new type of mobility space, that offers both, the comfort of a traditional camper van, yet allows users an optimized ergonomic space for conducting remote work wherever the whim takes them.  In other words, a seamless crossover of functionalities for an ideal work-life balance…. hence the Cross Cabin naming,” said Steve Crawford, Director of Alpine’s European Brand Business Division.  As a vehicle basis a 6,70m Ford Transit van was selected and transformed into an all-new type of workcation vehicle.

For the interior design concept, we adopted the Japanese aesthetic of minimalism and tidiness – having items at hand when needed, but securely stored away (or even hidden in plain sight) if not in use. This guarantees a clutter-free, harmonic interior environment that feels professional and relaxing at the same time. The wall-trims are created from wooden lats with bamboo trim, formed into shape to be used as sitting benches, while allowing to neatly blend-in hide-away beds, state-of the art speakers and LED mood lights. The floor is trimmed out using Japanese Tatami-style mats, to complete the feeling of minimalism and functionality – a design never seen before in any camping van or motorhome. The Cross Cabin van is also equipped with enough battery power, solar panels and other solutions to allow users to work off-grid for up to 3 days in regular working conditions.

The Alpine Cross Cabin concept van is packed with many innovative technologies to allow comfortable off-grid living and working for up to 3 days. An innovative LED lighting concept turns the interior into any mood setting the user desires. The energy management was realised by the company KLATrucks, a MASTERVOLT Premium Partner. The Mastervolt system is a sophisticated system that was specially designed to meet the customer's requirements. It comprises a generously dimensioned sine wave inverter (3,500 W), combined with a solar charger, solar cells and two lithium batteries of 460 Ah each with 12,000 Wh total output. This enables the use of household appliances at 230 V sockets, but also the use of a ceramic hob in the kitchen. In addition, there is a DC-DC charger that charges the body batteries with 50 A while driving. The control and monitoring of the consumers is managed via an Arvikon interface, which can be operated entirely from the driver's seat with the retrofitted Alpine iLX-F115D. 

Working in the Cross Cabin:

The core element of the Alpine Cross Cabin is the “Smart Table”: hidden in the floor if not in use, this table can be folded up and rotated to be either a large office desk or a long dining / conference table. If you want to enjoy the beautiful scenery and fresh air while working, you can simply slide-out the table assembly to the back of the van at the push of a button and create a terrace office. The tabletop can be opened to reveal a 32” monitor and integrated full-size keyboard, allowing professional work when connecting your laptop PC.  Working remote requires a fast and stable mobile Internet connection: the Alpine Cross Cabin concept van features the high-speed “Alpine x Alphatronics STREAM” 4G / LTE mobile router with external antennas, allowing for perfect video conferencing in HD quality, video streaming and cloud-based work. The vehicle cabin is soundproof to the outside, to ensure uninterrupted video conferencing at busy places or in heavy rain.

Sound, Entertainment & Driver Support Systems:

The installed sound system uses four Alpine Adventure Audio ultra-slim APS line array speaker panels - perfectly integrated within the wooden wall trims, an Alpine multi-channel DSP amplifier and 2 powerful, hidden Alpine subwoofers to keep users entertained. A multi-zone sound concept allows settings for the working area as well as the living area and includes settings for video conferencing and music enjoyment. The APS line array speakers are perfect for applications in motorhomes and camper vans due to their slim, lightweight construction and superior sound. We also included our latest motorhome navigation and sound systems for the driver’s area, allowing excellent entertainment and navigation during long drives. With Alpine’s brand new 360-degree camera system, drivers can see the Cross Cabin van virtually from above, ensuring save maneuvering during parking. This camera system also fully eliminates blind spots all around the vehicle, contributing enormously to accident prevention. You can even see what is happening behind the vehicle with Alpine’s new e-Mirror system: it appears like a usual rear mirror attached to the windshield but uses a hi-res display and camera to create a wide-angle rear-view for the driver. 

Market Introduction:

In 2023, the company will be exhibiting the Cross Cabin van at select shows and venues across Germany and other countries to collect market feedback on the workcation concept and its’ incorporated technologies. This feedback will be reflected in next generation mobility solutions and technologies for future market introduction.

Alps Alpine Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of electronic components and automotive infotainment systems operates 110 bases in 26 countries and regions, supplying roughly 40,000 different products and solutions to around 2,000 companies worldwide. Its Alpine Brand Business Division is a leader in automotive navigation, entertainment and communication and has shifted its focus towards the motorhome and camper van industry in Europe. Alpine now offers premium retrofit navigation and sound systems for all major motorhome and camper van models and works as Tier 1 supplier for many leading motorhome manufacturers.

 

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Source: alpine.de