Starlight rolls out high-end RV strategy to tap rising travel demand

Chinese recreational vehicle startup Starlight opened its flagship experience center in Beijing on Friday, unveiling strategic partnerships with leading players in manufacturing, rental, and travel services to meet growing demand for self-driving tourism.

Working with BAIC Foton, RV rental company Shanhaifu, and travel platform Fangchelvtu, Starlight plans to build an integrated ecosystem covering production, rental, campsite operations, and itinerary planning — as China pushes for domestic consumption and rural tourism development.

"China has the world's largest automotive market and rich geographic and cultural resources, but RV penetration remains just 0.02 percent, compared to over 10 percent in the US," said Cong Linan, president of Starlight (Beijing) Automotive Technology. "The bottleneck lies in fragmented industry chains and underdeveloped service systems."

Starlight's vehicles are co-developed with Foton, leveraging dedicated RV chassis to ensure stability and performance.

The models — including Xingye, Xingyu, Xingtu, and Xingjue — are designed to meet varied use cases such as family travel and light off-road exploration. All are compatible with Class C driving licenses, significantly lowering entry barriers for consumers.

The showroom itself departs from traditional car displays, recreating 1:1 scenes from real Chinese road trip destinations such as the Qinghai–Gansu loop in Northwest China and rainforest campsites in Southwest China, offering immersive experiences within Beijing's urban core.

"This is not just a space for display," said Cong. "It's a portal into the travel life people are aspiring to — where your home moves with you."

On the same day, Starlight signed a 300 million yuan ($41.79 million) investment framework with the Moganshan High-Tech Zone in Zhejiang province, aiming to produce 10,000 RV upper-body units per year, covering both luxury and pickup-based formats.

Overall strategic agreements signed during the launch totaled 3.02 billion yuan in intended investment.

"Starlight's intelligent production line will integrate with our national campsite network," said Zhou Zicheng, chairman of Shanhaifu. "Together we're opening a new chapter in China's mobile lifestyle, building a five-dimensional model of RV travel: manufacturing, sales, rental, campsites, and curated routes."

Zhou added that the fusion of vehicle-side intelligence with campsite-side digital infrastructure is key to reshaping the Chinese travel landscape.

"We are not just building a travel product, but enabling a travel lifestyle that connects people, vehicles, and nature seamlessly," he said.

Starlight targets 500 vehicle sales in 2025, rising to 10,000 by 2027, alongside 500,000 daily rental bookings across its digital fleet services.

Future plans include co-developing a proprietary intelligent RV chassis with integrated new energy and assisted driving systems.

"Our goal is not just to build vehicles," said Cong. "We want to reshape the perception of RVs — from niche toys to everyday living options for modern families."