Who knew camping off the grid could be so luxurious?
California-based AC Future has just unveiled a stylish new electric RV concept called the eTH, which was specifically developed to keep itself running now matter how far you are from an outlet. The Pininfarina-designed vehicle can also expand, meaning there’s enough room to bring along the whole family on your next trip.
The eTH may not be a sports car, but it sports a bold and muscular look in line with many of the Italian coachbuilder’s other designs, which now include trains, bikes, and espresso machines in recent years. In driving mode, the vehicle looks like an ultra-sleek tour bus with clean, smooth lines and giant panoramic windows—only shorter. In fact, the RV only measures 20 feet bumper to bumper, which isn’t much bigger than the smaller models in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van line-up.
It’s once you’ve reached your destination that the eTH, which stands for Electric Transforming House, really separates itself from the pack. Thanks to its 11-foot height, the RV is already roomier than the Sprinter, but once it’s parked, its side and rear walls expand outward at the touch of a button to dramatically increase the size of its interior living space to 400 square feet.
When fully spread out, there’s enough room for a living room with a large dining table and sofa area, a large kitchen with everything you need to cook a full meal, a bathroom with a full-size shower, and a spacious and private main bedroom. The dashboard in the driver’s cockpit can also be turned into a mobile office, should you need to get some work done. The layout and amenities can be customised to your liking, as can the décor, which was designed to be clean and elegant.
RVs need more than just looks and space, though. AC Future and Pininfarina didn’t announce what kind of electric platform its RV will run on, but they did say that its presumably large battery pack will be connected to a large roof-mounted array of solar panels. The companies claim the setup will produce enough green energy to keep the vehicle and all its luxury amenities running for a full week. It also sounds like the chassis will be designed to work with a traditional ICE powertrain as well.
The eTH may just be a concept today, but AC Future is serious about building and releasing it, according to New Atlas. The start-up hopes to have its first functional prototype ready before the summer with an eye on putting it into production before the end of next year. You can sign up on the company’s website now for updates.