Automotive Innovation Stole the Show at CES 2016

So there was this major trade show and conference that happened last week; everyone’s talking about it. Maybe you know it as the Consumer Electronics Show, but from what we saw (or well, read on Twitter — maybe someday Advanced Automotive will actually get to grace those hallowed halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center), the event might be better renamed the Great Automotive Technologies Show… then again, that doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it.

Anyway. Let’s get back on track here.

The 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2016) — held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada; this year, January 6–9 — is the world’s largest technology trade show, featuring everything from drones to innovative wearable tech, and instant beer brewing machines to robots that take on the visage of Edward Snowden.

But this year, with nine major auto manufacturers represented, and more than 100 accessory producers and suppliers populating the LVCC’s North Hall:

The star of CES 2016 was automotive innovation.

Faraday Future FFZero1

It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s a Bat… mobile! No, it’s the Faraday Future FFZero1. This electric concept car has 1000 horsepower, a top speed of 200 mph, and can go from zero to 60 in just two seconds. Plus it’s pretty darn cool looking. A California company, Faraday Future has set its sights on challenging the likes of Tesla in the burgeoning electric car market.

Delphi Vehicle-to-Everything (V2E)

Anyone who’s ever driven — well, anywhere, but especially in northern Virginia — has had to contend with erratic motorists or those who simply don’t pay enough attention and swerve into a lane that isn’t theirs. This is exactly what the UK-based car technology company Delphi is trying to combat with the “vehicle-to-everything” (V2E) system debuted at CES 2016 last week.

Delphi’s V2E system uses advanced software and hardware to enable Delphi cars to communicate with other vehicles so that your car knows instantly if another car suddenly swerves into your lane, and can calculate how to move in order to avoid an accident. That’d come in quite handy during rush hour on 66.

Chevrolet Bolt EV

Unveiled at CES 2016, the Chevy Bolt EV has everyone excited — so excited to get to the Washington Auto Show next week. This crossover electric hatchback is the electric car you can afford. Priced at around $30,000 (after incentives), the Bolt EV boasts a 200-mile range, and integrates exterior weather conditions, the prevailing terrain and even the time of day with the owner’s driving history to help manage and predict performance.

These are just a few of the automotive innovations that took Las Vegas by storm last week; what caught your eye at CES 2016?