All the future of transportation technology that stood out at CES 2024

Photo credit: Kirsten Korosec for TechCrunch

Another CES has come and gone and transportation was still a key player on one of the world's biggest tech stages. It wasn't just electric cars that caught our attention at CES 2024.

Companies and startups focused on automated driving, electric vehicle charging, software (and especially AI), sensors, aviation, boats, drones, micromobility – you name it – were there. And luckily TechCrunch was there too.

Here are some of the technology topics we noticed at CES 2024.

Everything electric

Photo credit: Kirsten Korosec

The big three U.S. automakers – GM, Ford and Stellantis – may not have had spectacular presentations and product displays, but numerous others were there and helped establish CES as a major auto show. Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Sony, Togg and Vinfast from Turkey all presented electric concepts and production cars at the event.

Not only large, established automobile manufacturers were represented at CES 2024. Electrification has arrived in all areas of transportation, from motorcycles and e-bikes to go-karts, large trucks, boats and airplanes.

For example, Segway introduced two electric scooters, the E2 Pro and Superscooter ST1, two e-bikes called Segway Xafari and Segway Xyber, and a Segway GoKart Pro 2 that can be connected to a PC and used to play racing games Forza.

Startups were also in full swing and could be found at various CES-related events such as Pepcom and Unveiled. Cleveland, Ohio-based startup Land Energy was back with its sporty swappable battery e-bike, while Finnish company Verge Motorcycles introduced its Verge TS Ultra, an electric motorcycle with a hubless ring design, advanced rider assistance technology, and a powertrain producing a staggering 201 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque. Over in Eureka Park, where hundreds of startups set up shop, electrification was also present. One startup that caught my eye was Solar Buggy, a company that developed an electric urban mobility vehicle that looks like an enclosed golf cart.

Photo credit: Kirsten Korosec

And of course there were electric planes and drones. On the startup front, Pivotal opened online orders for its Helix personal electric plane, while on-demand autonomous drone companies Zipline and Wing inked a huge deal with Walmart. Hyundai's advanced air mobility division Supernal unveiled its off-the-shelf electric VTOL and landing aircraft, and Xpeng Aeroht, the subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng Motors, unveiled a new concept and announced that deliveries for its land aircraft carrier would begin in late 2025.

With so many electric vehicles, it's perhaps no surprise that electric vehicle charging stations are also abundant. In addition to the better-known charging infrastructure companies, we found startups focused on EV charging software, as well as those demonstrating novel approaches like WiTricity's wireless charging technology.

Generative AI

Photo credit: Volkswagen

Even before they set foot on the show floor, TechCrunch staff predicted that AI would dominate CES 2024. We weren't wrong. AI was everywhere, including in transportation, from cars and e-bikes to scooters and electric aviation.

There were many companies touting AI. While there was certainly plenty of vaporware, many companies demonstrated how software is increasingly incorporating AI to (hopefully) offer more powerful products, including vehicle sensors, voice assistants in cars, and autonomous driving systems.

There has also been a lot of talk about generative AI and in particular ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot capabilities used by large deep learning models trained on massive data sets. I watched two ChatGPT demos: one with BMW and another from a collaboration with software company Cerence and Volkswagen.

Volkswagen announced plans to build an AI-powered chatbot into all Volkswagen models equipped with the IDA voice assistant.

Meanwhile, BMW and its partner Amazon unveiled a development project that uses generative AI powered by Alexa LLM to give the automaker's voice assistant greater capabilities and deliver information in a more human, conversational way.

hydrogen

Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Co., center, and Chang Hwan Kim, senior vice president and head of battery development and hydrogen and fuel cell development for Hyundai Motor Co. at CES 2024. Photo credits: Getty images via Bloomberg

Hydrogen power is nothing new, but it has recently taken a back seat compared to more traditional battery-electric vehicles. Don't tell anyone at CES 2024, however, as this year's show floor was littered with hydrogen-powered vehicles of all sizes.

Hyundai, which has a growing portfolio of battery electric vehicles, came to CES to talk about hydrogen fuel cells and its vision for the alternative fuel. Nikola finally unveiled one of its first U.S.-built hydrogen trucks, which the company is now shipping to customers, and Bosch, which already makes hydrogen fuel cells (like the ones Nikola uses in its truck), announced it would have an engine I'm going to build something that can burn hydrogen. The truck manufacturer PACCAR also presented a hydrogen-powered truck.

We also encountered other hydrogen-focused startups walking the halls to meet with media, potential investors and industry representatives. Croft Motors was one we came across. The startup is developing “robust” hydrogen-powered vehicles, starting with a three-row SUV prototype with an “anticipated range of 1,000 miles.”

Hardware in the cabin meets software

Harman is introducing its ReadyCare product at CES 2024. Photo credit: Kirsten Korosec

Car manufacturers, automotive suppliers and even some start-ups showed their respective visions for the interior of the car. Yes, there were many touchscreens, including the popular curved design.

However, in-car technology extended far beyond that into the areas of safety, health assessment and entertainment. Eye tracking technology was everywhere. For example, Harman introduced its branded Ready Care system, which can measure a driver's eye activity, cognitive load and vital signs to determine the level of concentration and attention on the road ahead.

A number of companies also showcased how hardware like cameras and other sensors that were once used for security are now being used for other, more convenience-focused services. Bosch showed how eye-tracking technology could be used while driving to figure out what landmarks you're looking at, and the car could provide contextual information.

Meanwhile, Mercedes unveiled a suite of features that combine to create an immersive experience for drivers and passengers, including an enhanced voice assistant, in-car gaming, immersive audio and an app developed by will.i.am's new company Sound Drive that sorts gas , braking and steering to a kind of intelligent multi-channel mixer that influences the songs played in the car.

My conclusion: Companies understand that drivers and passengers are a captive audience, so to speak. And they're all working to bring all the technology we have in our phones and homes into the car.