If you were to land up at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, there are chances you’d mistakenly assume it to be a car show considering the four-wheelers showcased at the event.
Companies like Hyundai, Mercedes and even consumer electronics maker Sony showcased their concept cars at the event. Cars that looked something out of a futuristic Hollywood movie.
Mercedes in a New Avatar
German carmaker Mercedes took automobile engineering to a whole new level with its concept car that it says has been inspired by the movie Avatar. The Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR is said to have been designed with the help of James Cameron who directed the multi-million dollar grossing sci-fi movie.
The biggest eye-catching feature of the AVTR is the 33 scales that the car sports at the back. Yes, it has scales! The company is calling them “bionic flaps”.
Since this is a futuristic car it doesn’t have a steering wheel and instead comes with an oval-shaped controller that the driver can use to drive and interact with the car.
There is also something for the backseat passengers as they will have access to learning-oriented gaming and a “child-friendly augmented reality experience.”
It’s 2020 & Sony is Making Cars!
You read that right! Smartphones and consumer electronics maker Sony also showcased a concept car at the event. This was the biggest surprise at the event as no one at the event was expecting Sony of all to pull something like this off.
The Vision-S is an electric concept sedan loaded with technologies that make it a future-ready vehicle.
To start with, it comes with 33 sensors onboard, multiple windscreen displays with some of the technologies coming from partner companies like BlackBerry and Bosch.
The design of the car gives it a very Porsche-like look and feel while it is said to have been manufactured on a new EV platform which seems to have taken its engineering expertise from Canadian automotive technology company Magna.
Hyundai Takes Off at CES 2020
It was last month that South Korean carmaker Hyundai has teased a concept flying car which it decided to ship to Las Vegas to showcase at the event.
The company is looking to supply these in large numbers to ride-hailing service Uber for its air taxi network. Uber, on the other hand, has said that it wants to start tests for its air taxi service in 2020 which it had talked about starting back in 2016.
Uber is expected to launch the service by 2023 in cities like Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California.
In terms of performance and dynamics, Hyundai’s air vehicle comes with two tilt-rotors on the tail, and 10 other rotors distributed evenly around the aircraft. It has been designed to lift off vertically and land the same way.
It is expected to have a cruising speed of 290 Kmph and can seat 5 persons at a time. It can fly at an altitude of 1,000-2,000 feet and offers a 100-kilometer range. This aircraft will need at least 5-7 minutes to recharge.
Nissan Ariya at CES 2020
Nissan showcased its concept car at the event ahead of its launch at the Las Vegas Auto Show. The Nissan Ariya is built on an all-new EV platform and it has been developed around the Japanese company’s ‘Intelligent Mobility’ theme.
Nissan has invented a new lightweight sound insulation material that significantly reduces road noise inside the cabin. It also makes the car lighter which improves the overall range of the car.
It also comes with diamond cut alloy wheels with sleek LED taillights. On the inside, it has very few physical buttons besides a start button and a knob to operate the car’s 12.3-inch display and climate control.
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