Battle Born Releases New Line of Smart Lithium Batteries

RENO, Nev. – Dragonfly Energy Holdings Corp. (Nasdaq: DFLI), an industry leader in energy storage and battery technology, announces the public release of its new Battle Born smart lithium batteries, now available for purchase at special introductory pricing.

This release coincides with the Company’s annual Black Friday sales event, happening now through Cyber Monday, where customers can access some of the best prices of the year on all Battle Born products.

The new Battle Born smart batteries feature Dragonfly IntelLigence®, the Company’s patent-pending technology that delivers comprehensive battery communication and monitoring capabilities. This innovation allows users to track individual battery and full battery bank performance in real-time. Through the Battle Born Mobile App, users can receive critical alerts, access detailed performance data, and review historical reports to optimize system performance. This advanced visibility enhances system configuration, streamlines troubleshooting, and ensures compliance with industry standards, including the ABYC E-13 Standards for Lithium Power Systems on Marine Vessels.

Consumers can take advantage of the limited-time introductory pricing and Black Friday discounts by visiting BattleBornBatteries.com.

For more information about Dragonfly Energy and its innovative energy solutions, please visit DragonflyEnergy.com.

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Winnebago Connect App ‘Brings RVs Into the 21st Century’

Apps that allow you to remotely monitor and control various functions on your car have been around for years, and now the RV industry is catching up, according to a report by Motor Trend. Industry heavyweight Winnebago has now entered the fray with its new Connect in-vehicle system that—you guessed it—connects to the Winnebago smartphone app, and you’ll never want to go RVing without it again.

What’s So Connected About It?

RVs, if you’re unfamiliar, have a lot of features that require your attention and care. Everything from lights to water pumps to climate control, kitchen appliances, slide-outs, and holding tanks. Nearly all of them are used every day while traveling, and every one needs to be monitored. In the past, checking the amount of fresh water left in your tank or the electricity left in the battery meant finding one of several tiny panels (often one for each system) with LED lights indicating levels. It all works, but it’s not a particularly smart or modern system. These days, like so many other things, there’s an app for that.

Winnebago Connect Home Screen

Winnebago Connect links every major system and even a few minor ones together and lets you monitor and control them through a touchscreen in the vehicle and on the Winnebago app on your phone. Linked electrical systems include interior and exterior lighting, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation, the fresh water pump, the instant water heater, slide-outs (if equipped), powered awnings (if equipped), door locks, and the pet mode (runs the heat or A/C to keep your pet safe while you’re away).

You can also control the inverter that powers all these systems, monitor the charge of the 4.1-kWh lithium-ion battery that powers them, start and stop the onboard propane generator, monitor instantaneous power usage, and monitor incoming power from the solar panels (optional) and shore power, if connected.

The system also allows you to check the state of all your liquids. On the water and waste side, you can see the fresh water level, gray water level, and black water level in both gallons and percentage of total capacity. For the generator and single-burner gas cooktop (complemented by a single-burner induction cooktop), you can see the level of the propane tank.

The phone app is intuitive and well laid out, with a dashboard that lets you see the status of all the major systems, toggle them on or off, and adjust the climate control. The connect screen gives you granular access to every system connected to the app, letting you control everything from individual lights to the awning, slide-outs, door locks, water heater, and more. It’ll even let you see the exact amount of power being used and an estimate of how long the battery will last based on that draw.

Click here to read the full report by Motor Trend.

The post Winnebago Connect App ‘Brings RVs Into the 21st Century’ first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Winnebago Connect App ‘Brings RVs Into the 21st Century’

Apps that allow you to remotely monitor and control various functions on your car have been around for years, and now the RV industry is catching up, according to a report by Motor Trend. Industry heavyweight Winnebago has now entered the fray with its new Connect in-vehicle system that—you guessed it—connects to the Winnebago smartphone app, and you’ll never want to go RVing without it again.

What’s So Connected About It?

RVs, if you’re unfamiliar, have a lot of features that require your attention and care. Everything from lights to water pumps to climate control, kitchen appliances, slide-outs, and holding tanks. Nearly all of them are used every day while traveling, and every one needs to be monitored. In the past, checking the amount of fresh water left in your tank or the electricity left in the battery meant finding one of several tiny panels (often one for each system) with LED lights indicating levels. It all works, but it’s not a particularly smart or modern system. These days, like so many other things, there’s an app for that.

Winnebago Connect Home Screen

Winnebago Connect links every major system and even a few minor ones together and lets you monitor and control them through a touchscreen in the vehicle and on the Winnebago app on your phone. Linked electrical systems include interior and exterior lighting, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation, the fresh water pump, the instant water heater, slide-outs (if equipped), powered awnings (if equipped), door locks, and the pet mode (runs the heat or A/C to keep your pet safe while you’re away).

You can also control the inverter that powers all these systems, monitor the charge of the 4.1-kWh lithium-ion battery that powers them, start and stop the onboard propane generator, monitor instantaneous power usage, and monitor incoming power from the solar panels (optional) and shore power, if connected.

The system also allows you to check the state of all your liquids. On the water and waste side, you can see the fresh water level, gray water level, and black water level in both gallons and percentage of total capacity. For the generator and single-burner gas cooktop (complemented by a single-burner induction cooktop), you can see the level of the propane tank.

The phone app is intuitive and well laid out, with a dashboard that lets you see the status of all the major systems, toggle them on or off, and adjust the climate control. The connect screen gives you granular access to every system connected to the app, letting you control everything from individual lights to the awning, slide-outs, door locks, water heater, and more. It’ll even let you see the exact amount of power being used and an estimate of how long the battery will last based on that draw.

Click here to read the full report by Motor Trend.

The post Winnebago Connect App ‘Brings RVs Into the 21st Century’ first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Ronald McDonald House Radiothon Seeks ‘House Heroes’


Kierstin Eifler

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Kierstin Eifler, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Michiana (RMHC), is seeking support for her organization so it can provide services to families of ailing children free of charge.

She has recorded a video to help members of the public learn how to become a “House Hero,” empowering the South Bend-based organization – long supported by the Elkhart County RV industry – to reach its goals.

Eifler also encouraged the public to tune in to South Bend radio station U93 (92.9 FM) from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 3 for a “Radiothon” to hear stories from RMNC families and learn about the impact a gift makes in the community.

Click here to see the video.

The post Ronald McDonald House Radiothon Seeks ‘House Heroes’ first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Video: Coach House Marks 40th with ‘Heritage’ Debut

From Coach House RV: The Heritage is the culmination of four decades of redefining quality in motorhomes. Featuring exclusive finishes, a commemorative 40-year badge, and the meticulous attention to detail that sets Coach House apart, this limited-edition model is a milestone in luxury RV design. Explore the craftsmanship, legacy, and innovation behind the Heritage. Thank you for 40 years of support—this motorhome is a tribute to you, our customers.

The RVBusiness Featured Video is sponsored by CURT, a Lippert towing brand.

The post Video: Coach House Marks 40th with ‘Heritage’ Debut first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

RVIA to Host Dec. 3 Webinar on CARB ACT Regulations

The RV Industry Association (RVIA) for a critical webinar on the latest developments concerning the (California Air Resources Board (CARB) Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation. at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

During the webinar, participants will hear the latest on the regulation and the industry’s discussion with CARB. Webinar presenters will be RVIA Director of State Affairs Mike Ochs, and Jason Rano, RVIA’s vice president of Government Affairs.

In 2025, California’s Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation, aimed at promoting zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), will create a near-total “ban” on motorhome sales in the state, as well as in additional states that follow the California Air Resource Board (CARB) regulations. While the regulation does not specifically ban motorhome sales, the ACT regulation mandates manufacturers of medium and heavy-duty vehicles to sell an increasing percentage of ZEVs each year. This has led chassis manufacturers to halt sales of traditional internal combustion engine chassis for motorhomes in California, stemming from the lack of ZEV chassis suitable for motorhomes.

Click here to register for this webinar, which is open to RVIA members only.

Click here for further background on this issue.

The post RVIA to Host Dec. 3 Webinar on CARB ACT Regulations first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

Nexus RV Co-Founder Dave Middleton is Stepping Down

Dave Middleton, left, and Claude Donati

ELKHART, Ind. – Dave Middleton, co-founder of Nexus RV along with industry veteran Claude Donati, is stepping down as the company’s president and taking time off from the company after 15 years. 

“I look forward to taking some time with my family,” stated Dave, “I have enjoyed being part of what we built over the last 15 years and appreciate the many friendships I have developed with dealers, venders, employees and valued customers. I will truly miss them all.”

Prior to starting Nexus RV, Dave spent 10 years in the RV business at Gulf Stream Coach. 

Nexus RV is a privately held motorhome RV manufacturer headquartered in Elkhart, Ind., founded in 2010. 

The post Nexus RV Co-Founder Dave Middleton is Stepping Down first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

RVIA: October Shipments Top 30K, Up 7.8% Over Oct. ’23

Results for the RV Industry Association’s October 2024 survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 30,595 units, an increase of 7.8% compared to the 28,371 units shipped in October 2023.

“This latest shipment report shows that overall, the RV industry continues to make moderate, steady gains and we are on track to surpass last year’s shipment totals,” said RV Industry Association President and CEO Craig Kirby. “As we head into the holidays, it is encouraging to see RVing remains a popular travel option, with 21 million Americans expected to go RVing this holiday season and share the joys of time together with family and friends.”

Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, ended the month up 11.8% from last October with 27,766 shipments. Motorhomes finished the month down (-20.2%) compared to the same month last year with 2,829 units.

To date, RVs are up 7.7% compared to the same period last year with 287,007 units shipped through October.

Park Model RVs finished October down (-19.7%) compared to the same month last year, with 346 wholesale shipments.

Below you will find charts showing 2023/2024 month over month total wholesale RV and Park Model shipments. Click here to view the October 2024 shipment numbers published on the RV Industry Association website and click here to view our Shipment Report in PDF format.

The post RVIA: October Shipments Top 30K, Up 7.8% Over Oct. ’23 first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

RVIA: October Shipments Top 30K, Up 7.8% Over Oct. ’23

Results for the RV Industry Association’s October 2024 survey of manufacturers found that total RV shipments ended the month with 30,595 units, an increase of 7.8% compared to the 28,371 units shipped in October 2023.

“This latest shipment report shows that overall, the RV industry continues to make moderate, steady gains and we are on track to surpass last year’s shipment totals,” said RV Industry Association President and CEO Craig Kirby. “As we head into the holidays, it is encouraging to see RVing remains a popular travel option, with 21 million Americans expected to go RVing this holiday season and share the joys of time together with family and friends.”

Towable RVs, led by conventional travel trailers, ended the month up 11.8% from last October with 27,766 shipments. Motorhomes finished the month down (-20.2%) compared to the same month last year with 2,829 units.

To date, RVs are up 7.7% compared to the same period last year with 287,007 units shipped through October.

Park Model RVs finished October down (-19.7%) compared to the same month last year, with 346 wholesale shipments.

Below you will find charts showing 2023/2024 month over month total wholesale RV and Park Model shipments. Click here to view the October 2024 shipment numbers published on the RV Industry Association website and click here to view our Shipment Report in PDF format.

The post RVIA: October Shipments Top 30K, Up 7.8% Over Oct. ’23 first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.

AAA: ‘Gas Prices’ Now ‘Fuel Prices,’ EV Rates Added

WASHINGTON, D.C. – AAA is proud to announce that it is now adding electric vehicle charging data to its new “Fuel Prices” website as an addition to providing the nation’s leading gasoline price information. With nearly 2 million members living in households with one or more electric vehicles, AAA recognizes the need to track the average kilowatt-per-hour cost for all levels of public charging by state. Today’s national average for a kilowatt of electricity at a public charging station is 34 cents. At the pump, the national average for a gallon of gas dropped two cents since last week to $3.06 – matching the January 2024 low. There are now 28 states with averages below $3.

“One difference drivers may notice is that while gas prices bob and weave daily and require a chart to track, electric charging rates barely budge.  Over the past six months, AAA has quietly monitored EV charging rates, and they have moved less than a penny,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “And one important thing to remember, folks, whether you use gasoline or electricity, it’s still a car.”

Unlike the gas price map, which tracks national, state, county, and metro average prices, the EV charging rate map will only supply national and state data at this point. It will also show the number of public chargers in each state. The new EV charging map represents the national and state daily average per kilowatt hour cost for all commercial/public charging (Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3/DC Fast Charging). Historical EV price data is not available at this time.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand plunged from 9.38 million b/d last week to 8.41. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks rose slightly from 206.9 million barrels to 208.9, while gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.3 million barrels daily.

Today’s national average for a gallon of gas is $3.06, 11 cents less than a month ago and 23 cents less than a year ago.

Oil Market Dynamics

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI fell 52 cents to settle at $68.87 a barrel. The EIA reports that crude oil inventories increased by 0.5 million barrels from the previous week. At 430.3 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.

Quick Gas and Electricity Stats

Gas

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are Hawaii ($4.57), California ($4.44), Washington ($3.97), Nevada ($3.71), Oregon ($3.54), Alaska ($3.49), Pennsylvania ($3.24), Washington DC ($3.24), Arizona ($3.22), and Illinois ($3.19).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Oklahoma ($2.56), Mississippi ($2.63), Arkansas ($2.66), Texas ($2.67), Missouri ($2.71), Kansas ($2.72), Louisiana ($2.73), Tennessee ($2.74), Iowa ($2.75) and South Carolina ($2.76).

Electric

The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Kansas (21 cents), Missouri (24 cents), Nebraska (26 cents), North Dakota (27 cents), Texas (28 cents), Utah (29 cents), Vermont (30 cents,) Washington DC (30 cents), and Michigan (30 cents).

The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Hawaii (56 cents), West Virginia (44 cents), Montana (43 cents), New Hampshire (42 cents), South Carolina (42 cents), Arkansas (42 cents), Kentucky (41 cents), Idaho (41 cents), Alaska (41 cents), and Tennessee (40 cents).

Drivers can find current gas and electric charging prices along their route using the AAA TripTik Travel planner.

The post AAA: ‘Gas Prices’ Now ‘Fuel Prices,’ EV Rates Added first appeared on RVBusiness - Breaking RV Industry News.