PROTECT YOUR DNA WITH QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by Adpathway
Honda
Honda has unveiled a solar-powered towable travel trailer designed to be lightweight so it can be attached to the back of compact SUVs.
Dubbed the Base Station Prototype, the trailer can be fitted with various optional accessories, including an air conditioner, an external shower and an external kitchen, complete with running water and an induction stovetop. It comes with five side windows as default but these can be removed and replaced with the accessories depending on how users want to customise the trailer.
The designers were able to keep the weight under 700kg by utilising a fibre-glass upper shell resting on a full aluminium cage and chassis. This allows it to be towed by a wider range of lower-power vehicles, including electric SUVs.
The top of the Base Station Prototype can be raised to around 2.1 metres to create a space tall enough to stand up in, while a top-hinged rear tailgate is designed to allow easy access to a nearby camping area. Honda claims the Base Station can sleep a family of four comfortably with a futon-style couch that folds out to provide a queen-sized sleeping area and an optional bunk bed for children.
Honda
The Base Station can be used entirely off-grid, powered by its lithium battery, inverter and integrated solar panels, or it can be hooked up to external power sources for extended stays.
“Base Station is a perfect example of what can happen when you let a team of researchers, designers and engineers pursue bold new ideas to create new value for our customers,” said Jane Nakagawa, vice-president of the American Honda R&D Business Unit. “Base Station is the product of fresh and innovative thinking. We designed it to make camping more accessible and enjoyable for families across America.”
While solar-powered automotives are still far from the mainstream, there is increasing interest in incorporating solar panels as electric vehicle (EV) adoption increases.
In October, Nissan unveiled an EV with an extendable solar roof that allows it recharge on the road without plugging in. The technology is designed to extend a charge or provide top-ups to the battery as it would take anywhere from eight to 13 days to achieve a full charge when relying on the sun.
You may also be interested in...
The 2026 Consumer Electronics Show launched in Las Vegas earlier this week with the world’s biggest tech giants coming out
Open-access content
Car maker Nissan has reported a £888m pre-tax loss in its UK operations, largely driven by asset devaluation.
Open-access content
A new expressway in central Florida will feature a stretch of electrified road that wirelessly charges electric vehicles as they drive over it.
Open-access content
Chinese automaker BYD overtook Tesla in global electric vehicle deliveries in 2025, taking the top spot for the first time.
Open-access content
In order for the lukewarm consumer demand to heat up for smart glasses, perhaps it should be possible to change Meta’s offering’s components – or even replace the battery after constant use.
Members'-only content
New perovskite solar cells are able to retain around 95% of their performance after extended heat testing, according to a new st
Open-access content
The Institution of Structural Engineers has released comprehensive guidance about the design of permanent bamboo structures for the first time.
Open-access content
The UK will give Ukraine £20m to help bolster its energy infrastructure after it incurred significant damage from Russian strikes.
Open-access content
More from Automotive
Dubai is set to see a 12‑skyscraper development added to its skyline following the announcement of the ‘world’s first’ Mercedes‑Benz-branded masterplanned community.
Open-access content
Can driverless cars capture the hearts of motorsports fans? They have made a good start.
Members'-only content
Nissan has begun production on a new electric vehicle in its Sunderland plant as UK car makers shift gears away from petrol vehicles.
Open-access content
Over a quarter of new cars sold so far this year have been electric, with emerging markets now a major force in global electric
Open-access content
More from Consumer Technology
The updated AirPods bring improvements to water resistance and battery life... but with still no way to change the batteries once they die, Apple continues to neglect its environmental impact.
Members'-only content
A state-run app that must come pre-loaded on all new smartphones in India has sparked concerns from data privacy advocates.
Open-access content
Television technology is making the experience more inclusive – and moves away from the one-size-fits-all philosophy of the orig
Members'-only content
As LEDs become the dominant lighting technology worldwide, researchers are now exploring how they could double as a foundation f
Open-access content
More from Solar Power
The amount of renewable electricity curtailed in Great Britain in 2025 would have been enough to meet the combined annual electricity demand of every household in London, according to a new report.
Open-access content
The government has unveiled a major package of loans and grants for renewable tech to cut household energy bills, but has stoppe
Open-access content
A HAP-alpha solar aircraft has successfully completed full system tests at a German test centre, marking a major milestone ahead of its first flight trials in 2026.
Open-access content
Aetherflux has announced plans to launch its first commercial data centre satellite in early 2027, the first step towards building a constellation of satellites.
Open-access content
More from Jack Loughran
The updated AirPods bring improvements to water resistance and battery life... but with still no way to change the batteries once they die, Apple continues to neglect its environmental impact.
Members'-only content
Pornhub has said it will block access to all UK users that haven’t already generated an account on February 2 due to the “failed
Open-access content
The first of two tunnelling machines has begun excavation works between Old Oak Common and Euston Station as part of HS2’s final 4.5-mile stretch into central London.
Open-access content
The US version of TikTok has been accused of suppressing content critical of President Donald Trump by governor of California Gavin Newsom just days after being acquired by a conglomerate of US companies.
Open-access content
More from News
Cleantech start-up TheStorage has installed a sand-based thermal storage pilot at a brewery in Finland to provide fossil-free industrial heat.
Open-access content
Failure to effectively address the current space debris challenge could cost the space industry up to $42.3bn over the next decade, according to a World Economic Forum report.
Open-access content
Great Western Railway (GWR) has introduced the UK’s first battery-only-powered passenger train on a suburban rail link in west London.
Open-access content
Flexible, non-toxic hydrogel batteries could power soft, wearable and implantable electronics, according to a study.
Open-access content
English (US) · 
French (CA) ·