CES is where new, innovative (and super weird) tech makes its debut, from gorgeous TVs to clever kitchen appliances. This has been a particularly good year, a return to form after two pandemic-related doldrums. It was a reminder that CES is also the best place to see premium and inventive cars of all kinds – including those powered by renewable energy.
Sustainability and eco-friendliness are growing trends across all segments of the tech industry, so seeing more electric vehicles and related innovations at CES 2023 is a no-brainer. Here are some of the best.
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX is a sexy electric vehicle that will make gas guzzlers drool
Mercedes
Developed from the ground up, the Vision EQXX concept car can travel up to 620 miles on a full charge without adding additional bulky batteries, making this concept car the most efficient Mercedes yet. The EQXX has an AI avatar like Knight Rider’s KITT, only more futuristic; All of this is on a single free-floating display. I have to figure out what I find more attractive, the inside or the outside.
The Verge TS Ultra Motorcycle has some serious Tron vibes
Forget motorcycles
The Verge TS line is coming to the US in 2023. The high-end Ultra will have a top speed of 124 mph and can be fast charged in 25 minutes, making it the coolest bike on the block. With an estimated 233 miles on a full charge, the Ultra makes 201 horsepower. The bike can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. The motor is located in the rear rim, giving the bike a lower center of gravity and allowing for a larger battery in the bike frame. The Ultra retails for $44,900. If that’s too rich for your blood, there are two other models: the $29,900 TS Pro and the $26,900 TS.
Who needs an outlet when you’ve got a squad?
squad
The Squad is a two-person car with a small solar panel on the roof that offers up to 19.2 miles on a sunny day. The golf cart style vehicle can travel up to 60 miles on a single full charge. The powertrain consists of two 2-kilowatt rear-wheel motors powered by four removable 1.6-kWh batteries. It has a top speed of just under 30 km/h. The car has four-wheel disc brakes, seat belts and a roll cage for safety. It might not be the sportiest car on the block, but it’ll save you money both at the pump and with its US price tag of $6,250.
Biking in the snow
moon bikes
The Moonbike is a 163-pound bike that’s part snowmobile, part bike. It can carry a rider weight of 264 pounds, puts out 170 Nm of torque and has a top speed of 26 mph. The latest Moonbike adds mobile support for its products, with an iOS and Android app that allows riders to track their trails, elevation gain, and connect with other moonbikers. The bike is currently priced at $8,900.
The concept car from BMW is also your buddy
Technology can be so impersonal. BMW’s i Vision Dee hopes to fix that. With sophisticated AI, this concept car leaves the servant schtick of Siri and Alexa behind. Instead, it hopes to be both your car and your friend. The i Vision Dee is an EV sports car with an exterior made of 240 E Ink panels. You can use these panels to program a digital face into the car’s grille – being an electric vehicle, it doesn’t need the ventilation that a grille typically provides – or change the car’s colors at the touch of a button.
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The BMW i Vision Dee is just a concept for now, but some of its features will carry over to BMW’s actual cars. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse, for example, said the AI-powered HUB technology the company is putting into the i Vision Dee will come to real cars in 2025. — Daniel VanBoom
A flying car actually happens, for real this time
BreeFowler/CNET
We’ve been waiting for flying cars since at least the Jetsons, and now we’re about to make that dream a reality. And by “we” I mean a company called Aska, which unveiled its A5 flying car at CES 2023. It’s more than a concept: Aska has opened pre-orders for the $789,000 vehicle. At CES 2023, Aska co-founder Guy Kaplinsky said Federal Aviation Administration approval for the A5 could come “within a month.” Aska hopes to use the A5 to launch a ride-sharing service in 2026. — Daniel VanBoom
Continue reading: This $789,000 flying car could be off the ground faster than you think
The Tesla of the Sea
Candela’s C8 EV hydrofoil aims to shake up the waters with autonomous technology and more.
candela
As you’ve probably noticed, electric vehicles are in high demand these days. But why stay on the streets? According to CNET’s Bridget Carey, Candela’s C8 EV hydrofoil is a sleek vessel that glides across the water like a magic carpet. Aside from making EVs sexy, Candela’s C8 borrows from Tesla in another important way: its autonomous boat ride, which allows the C8 to stay on a set course. The entire boat is carbon fiber, including the seats, which explains the $390,000 price tag. – Daniel VanBoom
Continue reading: CES 2023 Car Tech: This week’s coolest car news from Las Vegas
Sony’s first car is coming in 2026
James Martin/CNET
Electric vehicles are big business and Sony wants to be part of it. The electronics giant is working with Honda on a new electric vehicle brand called Afeela. The Afeela logo appears on a narrow screen or “media bar” on the vehicle’s front bumper. This can also interact with people outside the vehicle and share information such as the weather or the car’s charge level.
Unlike the car Sony showed off at CES 2020 all those years ago, this car is actually coming to market. Nothing is known about pricing just yet, but Sony said its Afeela car will hit North American roads in 2026. Japan and Europe will follow. – Daniel VanBoom
A Transformers-inspired bike that fits under a desk
Icoma
Is this e-bike more than meets the eye? There’s little danger of mistaking the Tatamel for a robot in disguise, but it’s not often that you see an electric bike that folds like a Transformer to the size of a suitcase and fits under a desk. At CES 2023, the Japanese company Icoma showed exactly that with the Tatamel. It’s also more than a bike for the last mile. Its electric battery pack can be used to charge devices, which can come in handy in an emergency.
Continue reading: A Transformers-inspired EV bike that folds to fit under your desk