The best electric cars, electric bikes and driving cars we saw at CES 2023

Every year at CES, the world’s largest and most innovative companies show exciting (and sometimes very strange) tech for your house, from impressive TVs to smart kitchen gadgets. But CES is also where the auto giants come to show off their wares, and 2023 was a particularly fun show for car enthusiasts.

Sustainability and environmental friendliness are growing trends in all segments of the technology industry, so it̵[ads1]7;s a no-brainer to see more electric vehicles and related innovations at CES 2023. Here are some of the best.

The Mercedes Benz Vision EQXX is a sexy electric car that makes gas guzzlers drool

The Vision EQXX concept car was designed from the ground up and can travel up to 620 miles on a full charge without adding extra large batteries, making this concept car the most efficient Mercedes to date. EQXX has an AI avatar like KITT from Knight Rider, only more futuristic; all of this is on a single free-flowing screen. I have to find out what I find more attractive, the interior or the exterior.

Verge TS Ultra Motorcycle has serious Tron vibes

The Verge TS line will arrive in the US in 2023. The high-end Ultra will have a top speed of 124 mph and be quick-charged in 25 minutes, making it the coolest bike on the block. With an estimated 233 miles on a full charge, the Ultra produces 201 horsepower. The bike can do 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds. The motor is located in the rear rim, which gives the bike a lower center of gravity and leaves room for a larger battery in the bike frame. The Ultra will set you back $44,900. If that’s too rich for your blood, there are two other models: the TS Pro for $29,900 and the TS for $26,900.

Who needs an outlet when you have a team?

The Squad is a two-passenger 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 in-wheel motors powered by four 1.6 kWh replaceable batteries. It has a top speed of just under 30 mph. The car has four-wheel disc brakes, seat belts and a roll cage for safety. It may not be the sportiest car on the block, but it will save you money both at the pump and with its US price of $6,250.

Cycling in the snow

The Moonbike is a 163-pound rideable that’s part snowmobile, part bicycle. It can support a rider weight of 264 pounds, puts out 170 nm of torque and hits a top speed of 26 mph. The latest Moonbike adds mobile support to its products, with an iOS and Android app that lets riders track trails and altitude, and connect with other moonbikers. The bike currently retails for $8,900.

BMW’s concept car also acts as your buddy

Technology can be so impersonal. BMW’s i Vision Dee hopes to fix that. Using sophisticated artificial intelligence, this concept car joins the servant of Siri and Alexa. Instead, it hopes to act as both car and friend. i Vision Dee is an EV sports car with an exterior made up of 240 E Ink panels. You can use these panels to program a digital face into the car’s grill – because it’s an electric car, the ventilation that a grill normally provides isn’t necessary – or change the car’s colors at the click of a button.

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The BMW i Vision Dee is currently only a concept, but some of the features will trickle down to BMW’s actual cars. For example, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse said that the AI-powered HUB technology the company put into the Vision Dee will come to real cars by 2025. — Daniel Van Boom

A flying car actually happens, for real this time

We’ve been waiting for flying cars since smallest The Jetsons, and we now appear on the precipice to realize that dream. And by “we,” I mean a company called Aska, which revealed 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 that approval by the Federal Aviation Administration for the A5 could happen “within a month”. Aska hopes to use the A5 to start a ride-sharing service in 2026. — Daniel Van Boom

Read more: This $789,000 flying car could get off the ground faster than you think

The Tesla of the sea

As you’ve probably noticed, electric cars are hot right now. But why stop on the roads? Candela’s C8 EV hydrofoil is a smooth craft that glides along the water like a flying carpet, according to CNET’s Bridget Carey. Aside from making electric cars sexy, Candela’s C8 takes cues from Tesla in another important way: Its autonomous boating, where the C8 can stick to a set course. The entire boat is made of carbon fiber, including the seats, which explains the $390,000 price tag. — Daniel Van Boom

read more: CES 2023 Car Tech: The coolest car news from Las Vegas this week

Sony’s first car will arrive in 2026

Electric cars are big business, and Sony wants in. The electronics giant is teaming up with Honda for a new brand of electric vehicle 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 state of charge.

Unlike the car Sony showed off at CES 2020 all those years ago, this one is actually coming to market. No word yet on pricing, but Sony said its Afeela car will hit North American roads in 2026. Japan and Europe will follow. — Daniel Van Boom

A Transformers-inspired bike that fits under a desk

Is this e-bike more than meets the eye? There’s little risk of mistaking Tatamel for a robot in disguise, but it’s not often you see an electric bike that folds up like a transformer to the size of a briefcase and fits under a desk. At CES 2023, it was precisely the Japanese company Icoma that showed off Tatamel. It’s more than a last mile bike too. The electric battery pack can be used to charge devices, which can be useful in an emergency.

read more: A Transformer-inspired EV bike that folds up to fit under your desk