AC Future and Pininfarina's eTH Is About To Push Tiny Homes off the Traveling Home Map

Okay, so Pininfarina is only responsible for a part of the ETH, the expandable motorhome we have before us, and AC Future for the rest. Who is AC Future? While there isn't a whole lot of info on them, this mobile living team born in California has its sights set on disrupting and shifting the way we live, move, work, and play.

The eTH, or "electric Transformer House," appeared at the recent CES 2024, and frankly, I'm not sure how this one slipped off my radar because this thing is friggin amazing! Before going on, be sure to check out those juicy images in the gallery. Oh, and feel free to comment on what you see.

You already know that Pininfarina is part of this process, and they've been a staple of automotive and even architectural design for decades. With their help, AC Future hopes to fill up our streets with eTH and other habitats they have lined up by 2025. in my own personal opinion, if this crew takes off, this is going to be one hot ticket.

Now, to fully understand what we're up against here, let's place ourselves in the presence of this futuristic motorhome. As we do, take in the whole rounded look and smoothened edges, tiny little wheels, and the overall impression that this is no doubt an electric vehicle, and it is. Be sure to take note of the massive glass privacy walls that let you control visibility into or out of the home.

As you sit there amazed at this hunk of rolling half-shell, somebody presses a button, and the eTH begins to show us why this crew is on the right path in terms of changing the way we live. Built upon the idea that slide-outs are our friend, the eTH explodes into a three-room home that nearly triples in size from what we started with.

This is made possible by an ingenious expandable and rollable wall design that is only revealed when you decide to call someplace home. If you've ever been to a cafe with retractable glass walls, you know what sort of mechanism is being used to bring the eTH into home mode.

With this mechanism, the eTH expands on all three available sides, in the process unraveling a massive living room, a bedroom at the rear, and yet another living space with a bedroom along the port wall. The starboard wall houses the kitchen - because we can't call it a galley - and a bathroom fit for two with separate features. Let's head inside via that elevated staircase that's seen on the right side of the eTH and get ready. Oh, you're about to witness up to 400 sq ft (37.2 sq m) of home, as much or more than the largest of tiny homes.

First and foremost, as we enter the unit, take a look at the cockpit. Here, we spot a completely redesigned cab that isn't just a place you'll visit whenever you're driving, but with a snap of the fingers, the dashboard transforms into a fully functioning office space with swivel seats and all. The steering wheel hides under the dash, the electronic side mirrors shut down, and suddenly, you're having coffee, staring out into the world through 270 degrees of visibility.

With a quick swivel of your chair, you're now facing toward the rest of your home, and with a knee-pop or two, you're up and heading toward the kitchen to wash your cup. Maybe just leave it sitting on the large flush countertop. Time to read a book, but where to do so?

Let's head into the huge dining room and guest bedroom found along the western wall. Here, that book can be read at a four-person dinette or while lying down on a two-person bed. All the while, you've dimmed down the privacy glass and are bathing in rays of sunshine.

If, however, you're looking to take a nap, I recommend the master bedroom found at the rear of the eTH. It's also here that you can close yourself off from the rest of the home and sleep in peace. As you sleep, the eTH will be working its magic; this thing is filled with goodies aimed at eco-friendly living.

One of those goodies is a massive solar array that covers nearly every inch of this unit's roof. Only the nose and rear caps don't have any panels on them; over 25 kWh of juice can be generated with these babies. Yup, that'll do it! There's even a water generator integrated into the eTH, producing around 50 l (13.2 gals) of precious juice daily.

So far, that's about all we know; even pricing isn't yet available. However, being a fully electric platform, we can expect to pay a premium. Full customization will also be a part of your future eTH purchase, so bring that checkbook.

While we're sure to witness some bank-account-shattering price tag when and if this thing actually takes off, we need to consider that we're not just buying an RV. This is a downright mobile home, crafted and tuned to capture the elements around us and put them to good use; after all, who doesn't love free energy and water? Not to mention the ability to just up and move whenever you want, like a turtle carrying its home on its back.