THE CES 2025 REPORT

That quote is what I said last year in this space about the CES Show. And that’s what we witnessed again at CES 2025.

Just like the rest of the CES show, the automotive sector keeps evolving with new technologies emerging, and with the automobile manufacturers popping in and out with the predictability of a Las Vegas slot machine. Hard to foresee who will be there the next time, which adds to the appeal of the event.

And like a Las Vegas magic disappearing act, one is often left with the question of “Where did they go?” Some auto companies will be one-hit wonders, with others magically reappearing like they were never gone.

Some Things Old, New, Missing and Overdue

This year I came away summing things up as “Something old, something new, something missing, something overdue.”

Let’s start by getting the “missing” list out of the way. I look back nostalgically to past years, at the outstanding booth designs they brought, and wonderful vehicle reveals they put on, only to be silent this time around. That list starts with GM, Ford, and Stellantis. And from Europe, Audi has been absent for many years.  And Mercedes, who had become a regular thru last year, this time opted for only a private meeting room. There were several VW ID.Buzz vans scattered around, but no VW corporate booth. In the last couple of years Vinfast made a splash, unveiling a new pick-up and a cute-ute in 2024. And now, its crickets from them.

Other People’s Booths

Still, I did see some interesting production vehicles on the floor in other peoples’ booths, making for some fun car-spotting: at least two Lotus Eletre, a Koenigsegg One:1, a Bugatti Veyron, and from China, a WEY and a Badjun E300. And some great race cars were there, including Red Bull and Williams F1 cars, Penske Porsche and Cadillac WEC cars, an Andretti team Indy car, an Audi RS Q e-tron Dakar racer and a Pratt-Miller C8 Corvette GTD.

The Real Force

Overshadowing the car companies were the suppliers, the real force creating ‘the software-defined car’. Global operators like Siemans, Bosch, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, and Sony had the city-block size booths. These are the suppliers of the electronics, software, and now AI to enable endless entertainment and self-driving features, as well as maintenance and policing analytics. Battery makers and chargers also stood out. Hydrogen as an energy source was hardly mentioned, but I imagine we will see more of that in the future.

Mobility Central

The West Hall has been established as mobility central, making the visit easier, although there were a few automotive exhibitors scattered elsewhere.  

Under the big tent of ‘mobility’, one could include the many e-bike makers, the farm tractors and construction equipment of John Deere, Caterpillar, and Komatsu, the cranes of Tadano, and the boats/motors of Brunswick. Plus numerous flying machines. By physical size, mobility options ranged from the gigantic Deere 9RX tractor, large enough to squish a monster truck like it was a potato bug, down to electric, motorized suitcases.

But for our purposes, with a name like LA Car, we’ll stick primarily to cars…

Suzuki

NEW – Suzuki had not been to CES before. Their theme: ‘Image of the Small’. Whereas many auto makers are striving for a thinner ‘skateboard’ battery package, Suzuki showed a particularly thick slab of a universal EV platform, called Gen 6 Blanc Robot. Upon that they showed the options for delivery van, commuter vehicle, etc. They also featured their lovable kei-spec Carry pickup truck, and a project they are supporting, the autonomous, bread-loaf style, Glydways people mover… similar in size, but not in style to the 1950’s retro, Pininfarina-designed Holon, which sat closeby.

The Resurrection of Scout 

NEW – New to CES, as well as the market… at least not since the 1970’s. The Terra pick-up and Traveler SUV models were displayed outside, in a half-finished barn, to suggest a demographic fit with the outdoor, chop-your-own-firewood, DIY type buyer. Might these practical vehicles be well suited for the great rebuild after our recent fires?

BMW

BMW is an OLD friend of CES, once again occupying their far, far corner spot in the Silver Lot. Making it worth the hike there was seeing the BMW Vision Neue Klasse sedan and SUV in person. This was one of the week’s highlights for me. The throwback to the early 2 and 3 series sedan captured the airy greenhouse and lightweight feeling of the old 1600/2002. The SUV felt less so, but it has a much shorter history to harken back to…

Honda’s 0 Series

Last year we witnessed introduction of Honda’s 0 Series vehicle initiative, an attempt by Honda to leap forward in EV design and technology with lighter batteries, a lighter, thinner chassis, and responsive handling for the joy of driving. The concept Saloon and SUV they showed then have now evolved into prototypes, with the first production unit, the SUV coming in 2026. With its radical, contoured one box design, the O Series Sedan still looks NEW, going way beyond current Honda product styling.

Sony Afeela  

OLD and OVERDUE – Sony has been working up to being a automakers for many years now. And we have been shown the AFEELA car for the third straight year, with nary a change, but closer to production. Expected customer delivery will be in 2026. Although it reportedly shares the new Honda’s Series O’s platform, the AFEELA holds on to its older aesthetic.

Zeekr

NEW - The Chinese, EV-only brand Zeekr appeared rather unexpectedly, with a rather ‘toothy-grilled’ luxury 009 Grand van, a small, ‘Urban Crossover’ named Mix and a 001 FR, the ‘Grand Touring Coupe’. Although they have no current plans to sell in the US, their Mix crossover was ready to go in the nearby Waymo booth, decked out with cameras and sensors. By the way, this brand may be new to us, but Zeekr is one of the fifteen automakers (including Volvo) owned by Geely Holding. And we once thought GM had too many brands!

Xpeng AeroHT  

NEW – Previewed last year with renderings, the Xpeng AeroHT ‘Land Aircraft Carrier’ landed at CES, in its production version, and ready to take orders. What is it? Picture a six-wheel van, suitable for outdoor adventures, that carries a fold-up, two-person helicopter tucked under its hatchback. It is meant for the outdoor adventurer who wants to stop and get an aerial view of their whereabouts – in China at least, where regulations seem looser than those in the US.

Zoox

Zoox is a relative OLD-timer at CES, but moving forward. Returning to the West Hall, this California Bay area startup, now a subsidiary of Amazon has the most friendly looking robotaxi imaginable. I am happy for them; they have units rolling on the streets in the Bay Area and in Las Vegas, in testing mode for now, but close to ready for public use. Congratulations.

Toyota’s Woven City

Chairman Akio Toyoda came to CES, not with a booth and Toyota vehicles, but with an update announcement. It had been five years since he first announced the Woven City. This is an undertaking to build a new city in Japan, from scratch, as a technology showcase for living, working, and mobility. The grandson of the Toyota’s company founder proudly announced the completion of Phase 1. “Will it ever make money?” he asked. It doesn’t matter, as he sees it as giving back, not only to Japan but to the world. He invited scientists, scholars, and students to come to the woven city, and will be offering scholarships.

Other Mobility Exhibitors

I am always interested in the aspirations and energy of start-ups in the mobility sector. Especially if they are American, and more so, if they have a California connection.

Here are several I came across who are in their early stages. While others may be pursuing similar projects, I have to give credit to these individuals. They have put themselves in the CES Show for a week to try for a breakthrough in exposure and funding to keep their dreams moving.  These are the products of good old American ingenuity and ambition.

Invo Station

I couldn’t wait to get to CES to see the ‘flying-saucer-like’ Invo Station on Media Day. The ‘vehicle’ was inspired by Leonardo DaVinci. And appropriately, the company’s founder is another Leonardo, Leo Kayali. Mr. Kayali was previously with Tesla and is quite a visionary. He was able to paint a picture for us of how the vehicle would work, with its six shrouded fans around the perimeter, passenger seating in the center, and totally autonomous operation. With a design for mass projection approach, he claims a target price of $25,000 for the initial 3 passenger model.

Unfortunately, there was not a prototype, nor a model to be seen in their West Hall booth. Leo reports that the first aluminum dome for the ‘saucer’ had been formed, but it couldn’t get to the show in time. But with their shop located conveniently in Anaheim, we’ll be eager to check in with them, and view its progress. After all, who wouldn’t love to see flying saucers darting around? https://invostation.com/

Manta Air

When it comes to electric fan driven aerial vehicle concepts, we have seen many, from Bell, Hyundai, Toyota, and Uber at CES in the past. This year the most visible was the Xpeng. But I found another prototype of interest, the Manta Air. It is a three-fan, open cockpit, single seater. Its ambitious creator, David Simshon built it in his own shop, including the carbon fiber ‘body’, and has already flown it. I have to root for the little guy! Not to be confused with Manta Air of Maldeves, see: https://www.simtechlabs.co/

Biky Bikes

While the LVCC halls were filled with countless E-Bikes, it was down a low-traffic aisle in the lower catacombs of the Venetian Expo Center where I was led to an interesting two-wheeler. The Biky Bike has been designed to be a first bike for children. It is uniquely lightweight, and comes from the imagination of CEO Danil Kontsevoy and his co-founder partner Stanislav. Although it is not electric powered – “Let’s give the beginner rider some exercise” says Danil – it does feature electronics for tracking and safety. The backstory: Danil was born in Ukraine, grew up in Moscow handcrafting bicycles, and moved with his family to the US in 2022. Like many, he has the American dream of starting a company and putting in the work to make it succeed. I wish him and Stanislav the best! You can learn more about their bikes at bikybikes.com.”

Smart Tire

This one is a little bit different, and further along. The Smart Tire’s woven spring-back steel, airless tire prototypes, and its founder Eric Cole are not new to me. I had met the LA entrepreneur at the Goodwood Festival of Speed Technology Tent and in Las Vegas previously. And now to move forward, Smart Tire has developed a relationship with Hyundai, gaining support through their ZER01NE and CRADLE innovators assistance program. https://smarttirecompany.com/

Vanderhall Brawley

NEW - Vanderhall, the Provo UT producer of the various electric three wheel street vehicles, now has a 4 wheeler EV, the Brawley in its product line-up. I was drawn to this Jeep/Dune Buggy-like off-roader because of its jaunty, aggressive look, and nice stance. Look for it at the several Vanderhall dealers in California.

Aptera

OVERDUE - I first saw the Aptera in person at the 2010 Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. Its unique design with its sensuous, aircraft-like fuselage has an emotional, floating thru the air appeal. Maintaining its original configuration the body has recently been tweaked for further drag reduction in the Pininfarina wind tunnel, and is in production intent status… now covered in solar panels. The product of a San Diego start-up, it promises ‘daily driving’ capability solely from sun power.

The Final Word

We can still call CES a ‘car show’, although of a particular type. It may not include all the automakers or a celebration of the past, but you’re guaranteed a look at the many directions in which the future is going. And today, it is electronics and software that are in the driver’s seat…but wrapped in some pretty cool hardware!