By Janis Seabolt, Mobility Specialist, Ann Arbor SPARK
At CES 2025, held January 7 – 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, artificial intelligence took center stage across mobility, robotics, agriculture, sustainability, and digital health/wellness industries. While many booths looked like fun pop-up shops for cool off-the-shelf tech, a handful of exhibitors stunned with some wildly creative technology. Here’s a brief summary of the coolest mobility innovations at CES 2025.
Drive in/Fly out
Xpeng AeroHT ’s revolutionary eVTOL system combines a six-wheeled “mothership” van with a 2-seater semi-autonomous drone. The van, which seats four, automatically deploys the drone for seamless transitions between road and air travel. Featuring cutting-edge software for routing and flight stabilization, the drone is joystick-controlled by either passenger, delivering a futuristic take on personal mobility.
Hyundai Mobis: Human-Centric Tech
Hyundai Mobis unveiled a groundbreaking whole-windshield holographic display at CES 2025. This futuristic technology allows drivers to see navigation and critical driving data while passengers enjoy movies or interact with the entertainment system on the same screen. Mobis also introduced an adaptive interior lighting system designed to enhance passenger comfort—adjusting to road turns and curves to reduce motion sickness and create a more enjoyable ride experience.
First-Ever Autonomous Indy Car Race
The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) at CES 2025 made history with the first-ever four-car autonomous Indy race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 20-lap event capped a day filled with individual speed trials and two-car passing challenges. With final lap speeds exceeding 160 kph, the race showcased the remarkable ability of machine learning to safely and dynamically push limits with each lap.
The PoliMOVE team—a collaboration between Michigan State University, Politecnico di Milano, and the University of Alabama—entered as a favorite but faced a setback when a computer reboot delayed their start. Meanwhile, teams from Korea, Italy, and the University of Virginia delivered a thrilling, neck-and-neck finish, with the winner making a decisive pass at the final moments. Special thanks to dSPACE for hosting an unforgettable track-side event!
Autonomous robotaxis abound and amaze
May Mobility announced a partnership with Tecnobus, an EV minibus maker, to expand their autonomous shuttle capabilities. The minibus accommodates up to 30 passengers, including space for two wheelchairs. May also celebrated its driverless deployments here in Ann Arbor, with plans for a second route in 2025.
Zoox provided exclusive autonomous rides along the Vegas strip for media and select guests. Kristen Korosec detailed the experience in TechCrunch and the Autonocast team recorded a podcast with Zoox’s CTO while riding in the robotaxi.
Waymo and Zeekr unveiled their high-tech robotaxi, featuring 13 cameras, 4 lidar, 6 radar, and audio receivers. Two cameras have tiny wipers for optimal performance.
German-based Holon partnered with Mobileye to introduce this fully electric, autonomous minibus. With a capacity of 15 people and a top speed of 37 mph, the minibus is designed with barrier-free accessibility for individuals with mobility challenges.
Tier IV, pioneers in open-source autonomous driving software, showcased its AI Pilot system, which has achieved Level 4 driving certification in Japan.
COVESA Showcase
The Connected Vehicle Alliance (COVESA) hosted its highly anticipated demonstration showcase and reception at the Bellagio Hotel during CES 2025. With over 65 booths, showcases, and demos, and a crowd exceeding 300 attendees, the event provided an exceptional platform for networking with key players in connected vehicle technology.
Ann Arbor SPARK clients Derrick Redding of Betterfrost Technologies, Michael Woon of Retrospect AV, and Haowei Sun of SaferDrive made the most of this opportunity, presenting their innovative solutions to the COVESA community. The event enabled valuable connections with OEMs, tier suppliers, investors, and other industry professionals, helping to drive forward advancements in connected vehicle ecosystems.
Fun in the Sun!
Check Out These Robot Videos!
And a little fun. . . .
I got hands-on with some of CES 2025’s most exciting experiential demos. I started with Segway’s e-scooter on their mini-track, fumbling with the EV power before zipping around. Next, I hopped into the backseat of a Chinese automaker’s vehicle for a quick game of Mario Kart. I wrapped up my adventure on Brunswick’s eFoil Flitescooter simulator, gliding with ease. Meanwhile, Justine Johnson, Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, imagined revving up the LIVAQ electric ORV, putting its off-road power to the test. Vroom!
