Tag Archives: Aftermarket

LOKI Basecamp: The Most Versatile 4 Season Slide-In On The Market

Presented by LOKI – LOKI has been in the design, engineering, and fabrication business for 15 years, and this new subsidiary aims to disrupt the #vanlife industry with a highly configurable sports-specific pod that, unlike traditional recreational vehicles, is immune to mileage depreciation because it can be easily transferred from one vehicle to the next when it’s time to get a new truck. LOKI Basecamp brings a fresh new class of product to the outdoor industry and is a must-have for outdoor sports enthusiasts who want to convert their pickup truck into the ultimate adventure vehicle.

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LOKI

The concept for these fully insulated, solar powered adventure pods lived as a dream inside the mind of CEO Pierre-Mathieu Roy. His passion for outdoor adventure had him yearning for an adaptable slide-in that could be easily reconfigured to the needs of his seasonal outdoor passions, from overlanding and mountain biking in the warmer months to ski touring in the winter. And he wanted it to have the ability to operate untethered from both the energy grid and a vehicle. 

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LOKI

When COVID-19 struck, he recognized that many others also had the same desire, so he wasted no time making his dream a reality. “This new venture represents the melding of my personal and professional passion. Now more than ever people are pursuing their passion for outdoor sports. We designed the Falcon Series for adventure-seekers and weekend warriors who like to play outdoors and play hard in all seasons” said founder and CEO Roy.

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LOKI

The LOKI Basecamp Falcon Series is a combination of modern engineering and top tier craftsmanship. Each unit is carefully hand built, from the aluminum frame to the interior finishes. The Falcon Series is the first modular slide-in that utilizes interior and exterior rail systems for users to adapt their pod to suit the sport-du-jour.  The seating area can convert to extra sleeping space, bed panels can convert to a workshop table, and all of it can be used as outdoor furniture at the campsite. The entire rear panel opens fully, making it easier to load bulky items while also acting as an awning and offering panoramic views from inside. There is also a standard door for quick entry. The Falcon 8’s design features an indoor/outdoor shower, a storage area for a Dometic toilet, climate control, expedition-rated windows,  a fully functional dinette & much more.  The LOKI Basecamp Falcon Series brings high-end, van-life style to nearly any pickup truck, giving you more flexibility for the work-from-anywhere lifestyle you’ve been dreaming about.

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LOKI

Customers can choose from a variety of custom layouts, options, and colors to craft their dream overlanding vehicle. LOKI Basecamp is currently accepting orders at lokibasecamp.com, and once finished will be delivered and installed anywhere in North America.

Regulatory ruling brings new DeLorean closer to reality, current brand owner says—but the reincarnated 80s classic may go electric

New DeLorean, viewed from behind, with a city skyline in the background.

Photo: DeLorean Motor Company.

DeLorean Motor Company, the firm based in Humble, Texas, that currently owns the fabled DeLorean DMC automotive brand, stated this week that a final rule document released January 15 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) brings their promised production of a new DeLorean vehicle a big step closer to reality.

However, the automaker also noted that the new DeLorean may be built with an electric rather than an internal combustion powertrain.

The regulation, an outgrowth of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (a.k.a. The FAST Act), signed into law by President Obama in 2015, allows exemption from certain federal motor vehicle safety standards for low-volume manufacturers of replica vehicles.

“Low volume” is defined as production of up to 325 units, and the replicas must resemble conventionally manufactured vehicles from more than 25 years ago.

SEMA (the Specialty Equipment Market Association), an aftermarket automotive equipment trade group that has lobbied tirelessly for this regulation for years, applauded the final ruling this week.

“The roadblocks have been eliminated,” said SEMA President and CEO Christopher J. Kersting, in a statement. “Companies will be able to hire workers, start making necessary parts and components, and produce and sell cars.”

In a January 20 blog post, the DeLorean Motor Company, which acquired rights to the brand as well as unsold parts inventory from the original DeLorean automaker in 1995, reacted with a similar level of enthusiasm about the impact of the final ruling on making the dream of building new DeLoreans a reality, stating that “Companies like DeLorean will now be able to apply for authorization to produce and sell vehicles under this program.”

According to Road and Track, the company’s original plan was to sell a modest number of new DeLorean vehicles—about 50 per year—at a price of around $100,000.

However, in a disclosure that may irk some of the more traditionally minded DeLorean enthusiasts, the company also noted that “we’ve been considering switching to an all-electric as the future,” citing concerns about their ability to maintain emissions compliance with an internal-combustion platform for vehicles that they had originally planned to begin building in 2017.

How the market may react to the idea of an electric DeLorean seems tough to predict, although the idea of finding 50 customers per year for a limited-production vehicle does not, intuitively, seem daunting.

In fact, an electric powertrain may be a no-brainer way to breathe new excitement into a vehicle that, in its original incarnation, was notoriously underpowered.

A strong electric motor might be just what the DeLorean needs to finally deliver performance that matches the sleek lines and stainless-steel finish of the exterior.

About The Author

Bill Hayward

Bill Hayward, a writer, marketer, and car enthusiast, is editor and publisher of AutoNewsblaster. Originally a native of the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., he currently resides in South Central Pennsylvania. Contact: auto.enthusiasts.news@gmail.com or 717-968-0883.