Living on a small, efficient scale has always appealed to me, so I was thrilled to delve into several examples of sustainable tiny homes this week At CES 2025. There were EV RVs, camping trailers, and turnkey, self-contained housing units. I want each of them to create an eco-village somewhere, preferably within walking distance of a bakery, café, and Thai food.
Although none of these products are cheap, some of them are actually within what I would expect, compared to the market as a whole. The range of features used represents some of the best sustainability capabilities available today – solar power, gray water recycling, atmospheric water generation, and president-level insulation. Plus they are all very beautiful.
The camping/recreational bent of these models is great — but the fact that most don’t require a permit could help address a small part of the housing crisis, especially as more cities ease restrictions on accessory dwelling units (ADUs). One of these can easily be set up in the backyard or driveway as a studio apartment for a college student, elderly parent, and happy single people. I have some planning to do. After CES. And a long nap.
House.me Microhouse Pro
I’ll get this out of the way: House.me Microhouse Pro It was my favorite of the bunch. It is a 120 square foot drop-in, ready-to-use container that is capable of setting up on any flat surface – grass, concrete, sand, dirt, over brick, you name it. If it’s flat, it fits. It can absorb water from the air (I made sure this included low humidity areas). It plugs into a standard extension cord, so power can come from the grid, a solar setup, or something else entirely, and the built-in battery will power everything for four days without being plugged in.
Inside, it’s luxurious and beautiful with every space maximized. The queen-sized Murphy bed flips up to reveal a table and two bench chairs. It has a small refrigerator, microwave, and sink in the kitchen, a full-size shower in the bathroom, and a TV in the living space. The Pro model is fully equipped, with Siri Homepod voice control, gourmet dishes, and linens, and includes the aforementioned battery. This model is geared toward Airbnbs and rentals and is priced under $90,000. The Lite drops thirty grand in price because it ditches the battery, dishes, and a few other features and is intended for personal use. All microhaus models are available to order now.
AC Future Ai-THd
The unit I saw the most was from AC Future. the AC Future Ai-THd This is a full-size EV RV on display at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This is one of three models that the company will manufacture. There is also the Ai-THt, which is a trailer version and the Ai-THu which, like the microhaus, is a deliverable unit. The latter is the cheapest of the three models and is the one that interested me the most. All three are based on the same convertible design (TH stands for Convertible Home) which extends three ways from a 120-square-foot apartment to a 400-square-foot one-bedroom apartment.
Each model will be customized to order and the technology available will be impressive. The solar panels will generate 25 kilowatt-hours of power per day and also come with up to 15 gallons per day of atmospheric water generation. There’s a full-size refrigerator, washer/dryer, dishwasher, stand-up shower, and, since 2025, a whole-home AI assistant called Futura to manage things for you. Pre-orders have opened at CES and AC Future plans to start production as soon as possible Madness CES is behind them.
Roll away
I just got a peek inside Roll awaybut my colleague Jessica Condit did a complete tour in a rentable RV. It combines high-end hotel luxuries, from luxurious linens to Malin+Goetz cosmetics. There is a convertible queen-size bed, double stovetop, shower, panoramic roof and projector included. The RV itself has a range of over 270 miles and a fast charging option. Sustainability technology includes rooftop solar panels, waterless toilets, and low-waste water systems. This should allow for some off-grid trips but the RollAway is also compatible with standard RV site hookups.
To complete the hotel-like atmosphere, a concierge is available 24/7 to help plan your trip, provide you with directions, offer side quest suggestions, and keep your space equipped on the road. RollAway has just started booking trips and is almost fully booked for 2025. Reservations are around $400 per night and are currently only available around the San Francisco Bay, but more cities will be available soon.
Gravel flow
My colleague Sam Rutherford saw the prototype Gravel flow EV trailer in CES last year (And his photos are always much better than mine). I reviewed the production model the company brought to the show this year. The differences are subtle but meaningful. Essentially, Pebble asked potential customers to tour the prototype and tell them what they should change. One of the directions was “more windows” so a skylight was added with a larger window at the back. Lockers are now easier to access. The overall shape is now more aerodynamic, which should make towing the trailer easier and more convenient.
The ease of towing has really been one of Flow’s selling points. The 24-foot trailer (for a price upgrade) can be equipped with a dual motor that helps propel itself to reduce drag on the towing vehicle. This upgrade also includes a remote control option that allows you to park and hitch the trailer via the app. Again, there is a queen Murphy bed that becomes a workspace and the dinette table folds out to accommodate two more sleepers. There is a full kitchen and a walk-in shower/tub with glass doors that change from opaque to clear at the push of a button. There is a 45 kWh battery and a 1.1 kW solar array. It starts at $109,500 and goes up to $135,500 with the engine upgrade. The first deliveries should be available this spring.
Beacon AE.1 Cosmos
Fun fact: Lightship is the only non-exclusive California company on this list. ca and A Colorado-based company makes the AE.1 Cosmos, another fully solar-powered trailer that also has a motor assist feature. In addition to the engine, the Cosmos can also fold four feet when in “road mode” to reduce drag. Inside there is a full kitchen with a dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, convection oven, and induction stovetop. Two sleeping areas sleep up to four people and are converted into living areas (dinette and daybed/sofa). Everything is powered by a 1.8 kWh solar array and two battery banks.
Lightship set up the Cosmos in a parking lot just outside the convention center. The space is decorated with a cobblestone floor complete with scruffy desert plants and a starry night backdrop that obscures the convention center itself. If I closed my eyes, I could pretend I was in the desert somewhere, with everything I needed there. It was sad to leave it behind and go back to the chaos that is CES. But now the sad thing: only 50 will be produced. Each will be manufactured at the company’s facility in Broomfield, Colorado, and will be sold for $250,000 each, with units shipping this summer.
https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/846mfjLnF4KBMP81BSiXJg–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD02NzY-/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-01/71594dd0-cd3a-11ef-b9f7-454257e37b89
Source link