CES 2018: Every Auto-Related Thing You Might Have Missed

As it is almost every year at CES, autonomy remains a hot-button topic for 2018. But it’s not just one or two companies that are planning to roll out the tech on public roads, more than 20 companies, organizations, and even universities have some sort of autonomous technology on display this year.

Aptiv, together with Lyft, offered journalists the opportunity to hop in one of its autonomous BMWs to cruise around Vegas. Qualcomm, similar to Intel and Nvidia, didn’t have its own autonomous vehicle on display, but instead showed off the technology it is currently developing to make it all possible. Even the University of Waterloo had something; its Cadillac-based Renesas provided demonstrations throughout the show.

One of the many Chinese manufacturers hoping to introduce autonomous technology on public roads in the U.S., Byton made a splash at CES by showing its surprisingly well-equipped SUV concept. Founded by the Future Mobility Corp., and run by former BMW i vehicle program lead Carsten Breitfeld, Byton made some big promises in Las Vegas.

According to the company, the concept is about 85 percent near completion, with a production version scheduled for the U.S. sometime in 2019. A single rear-mounted motor delivers an estimated range of 250 miles (402 kilometers) while delivering a respectable 272 horsepower (202 kilowatts). Buyers can opt for a dual-motor version that pumps out 476 hp (354 kW), and comes with an estimated range of 325 miles (523 km).

Byton is aiming for an MSRP of $45,000 when the SUV goes on sale in just a few years, with Level 3 autonomy available standard, and Level 4 autonomy coming sometime after 2020. A sedan and a compact offerings will be offered later down the line.

Though we’ve seen Fisker’s new EMotion electric supercar previously, at CES 2018, the designer turned CEO introduced a more production-ready looking version of the long-awaited EV – and wearing a handsome red paint job, nonetheless.

Dramatic new doors, 24-inch wheels, and an alleged top speed of 161 miles per hour (259 kilometers per hour) were among the highlights – as was the surprisingly sharp-looking interior. But it won’t be until 2019 that we see the sports car on the road. The current lithium-ion battery pack will be replaced with a flexible sold state battery pack, Fisker hopes.

As of yet, America hasn’t disintegrated into the Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic wasteland that some of you might have hoped. Nonetheless, one company has decided to ready an 8,000-pound (3,628-kilogram) exoskeleton robot for when that day does come. Furrion showed its sci-fi-looking Prosthesis robot at CES 2018. 

The 15-foot tall machine is not fully autonomous, thank god, but is instead controlled by a user that sits in a small cockpit behind the exposed bodywork. The Prosthesis has the ability to hit 20 miles per hour (32 kilometers per hour), with a battery charge that will last up to an hour at full speed. The company says that it hopes to start an entire league of terrifying racing robots in the near future.

Following Harman’s takeover by Samsung, the company has quickly gone to work on delivering all the in-car amenities you’d expect from the tech giant. At CES 2018, the company debuted two futuristic in-car displays – one in the moonroof, and another on the dash.

The former of the two technologies essentially adds a giant screen to the roof in place of a standard moonroof. The aptly named MoodRoof allows users to access a Moodscape entertainment suite, which fills the cabin with natural sounds and displays.

Harman’s dashboard of the future, meanwhile, is a bit more useful. A massive QLED screen stretches out to the passenger, allowing they and the driver to access a range of systems, everything from navigation, to streaming services, and even Amazon Alexa.

Airbags for your hips may seem like a silly idea, but they could potentially save you or a loved one from a serious fall. The French company Helite debuted its new product at CES, and even gave a few journalists the chance to test them out – in a controlled environment, of course.

With a retail cost of $790, they’re not exactly cheap, but the technology is able to detect a fall within 200 milliseconds, says the company, absorbing 90 percent of the impact compared to just 10 percent found in typical padded underwear. The Hip’Air will launch in Europe in March before going on sale in the U.S. in September.

Honda debuted a quartet of robotics at this year’s CES show. The four combine to create what the company calls its "3E Concept," and include a few adorable options.

An autonomous ATV, dubbed the 3E-D18, is able to haul luggage but not people. The adorable 3E-A18 is a robot that uses AI to show emotion, the 3E-B18 is a robotic wheelchair capable of indoor and outdoor use, and the 3E-C18, similar to the A18, is an adorable boxy robot that draws comparison to Honda’s Sports EV Concept.

More efficient, more reliable, and higher-performing than the Tucson FCEV, the Hyundai Nexo fuel-cell crossover is the future, says the Korean marque. Making its official debut at CES, the SUV can travel up to 350 miles (563 kilometers) per fill-up of hydrogen, which equates to about 57 MPGe, and it looks good doing it.

This is no car, but it does have a wheel (singular), which makes it relevant to our interests. Plus it just looks cool. It’s called the IotaTrax, and it works similar to a Segway, or Honda’s self-balancing Uni-Cub unicycle. 

It’s the third project by Chinese-based inventor Shane Chen, and arguably his best yet. A more focused product following the two-wheeled Hovertrax and the outrageous-looking Solowheel that came before it, the IotaTrax looks like a fun, functional way to get around, even if it does retail at $599.

The IotaTrax goes on sale in late February, but if you want to pre-order one you can do so currently with a reduced price of $499.

A a host of other auto-related technologies that the company says will endow future vehicles, Kia debuted its futuristic Niro EV concept at CES. Though it remains far from production ready, the concept shares plenty of its DNA with the road-going hybrid model.

With a high-capacity 64-kWh lithium-polymer battery pack the drives a single 150 kW motor, the Niro EV is reportedly good for 238 miles (383 kilometers) on a single charge.

Toyota’s boxy-looking e-Palette concept was designed to be extremely versatile. Available in three lengths, from 13 feet (4 meters) all the way to 23 feet (7 meters), its tall height and angular structure was designed to fit people and products of all shapes and sizes. Don't expect to see it on the road anytime soon though, testing of the e-Palette won’t begin until at least 2020.

Flying cars, so hot right now. Geely's investment into flying car startup Terrafugia may have been the biggest news of 2017, but other manufacturers are looking to make waves of their own in 2018 – specifically Volocopter.

The 18-rotor VC200 prototype was shown at CES, alongside a brief flying presentation across the stage. It marks the VC200’s first flight in North America, and though it may stretch the term "flying car" pretty loosely, it is a pretty cool looking machine nonetheless. The company recently secured a $30 million investment from Daimler, and has plans to launch a commercial pilot program by 2020.

We’re still a few years away from the debut of the VW I.D. Buzz electric bus – it isn’t scheduled until at least 2022 – but thanks to CES, we now know that it will come with a suite of technologies courtesy of Nvidia. The two companies announced their partnership at CES, touting features like facial recognition, AI assistants, and even augmented reality.