Knaus Tabbert is aiming to launch a new brand before the end of the year, across motorhomes, caravans and campervans.

Chief executive Wolfgang Speck (pictured above) said it was too early to give any precise details about where the brand would sit in the new market, although a name will be unveiled with some promotional videos at this year’s Caravan Salon in Dusseldorf at the end of August.

He said the new brand was mainly designed to help the company expand beyond its dealer network. “Our dealers are selling on average 120 units a year, which is way more than our competitors, but that means they are probably full. So to grow more we need to enlarge our dealer network,” he said.

The new brand would not be cannibalising the company’s existing makes of caravan, he said, but would probably be more “customer specific” and very likely geared towards younger buyers who like enjoying the rugged outdoors.

“We will also introduce a hybrid form of distribution that may well include some direct selling, and will certainly include AI in the sales process,” he added.

The first vehicles from the new brand are likely to emerge in November or December this year.

Knaus is also working on a project to develop a self-driving caravan axle that can use power from the towcar’s battery and recovers energy as the caravan goes downhill. This is designed to reduce the amount of weight the tow car has to pull, and so make it easier to tow with an electric car. The system is just waiting for approval from the German KBA regulatory body.

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