CES 2026 Day 3: The Rubber Meets the Road
- Adam Bernard
- Jan 13
- 4 min read
Today’s activities featured a much stronger automotive focus (although there were plenty of non-automotive distractions on hand, like this stylish portable ice maker from Euhomy that claims it can create ice in only five minutes)…
A tour through Bosch’s booth provided some insight into their newer automotive-related technologies. Their Vehicle Motion Management was initially pitched to us as a technology suite to help eliminate motion sickness, but it’s far more comprehensive than that. Managing the braking, suspension, and steering systems, it can help transform the way a vehicle feels. It might not be able to make your minivan feel like a sports car, but it can help reduce the pitch forward resulting from a sudden stop and manage the amount of effort needed for braking. They also shared their latest AI cockpit technology, which, not unlike similar technologies we’ve seen elsewhere, can monitor your calendar, check traffic, find a coffee shop, and inform people you’re running late—all extremely handy. Finally, they are working on some upgraded motors that not only improve power density but also reduce energy consumption. So, the result is a smaller, lighter, more efficient motor that can help your EV accelerate faster and provide a longer cruising range—and who’d object to that?
A year ago, I asked, “Has Afeela Already Lost the Plot?” Now that I had the opportunity to spend some time with the preproduction Afeela 1 prototype (with deliveries scheduled by the end of the year), my concerns have only gotten deeper. It’s not ugly, and it’s not cheap; it just doesn’t seem to do anything particularly well for a $89,000 (or more), especially compared to the more capable (130 more miles, 25% more power, and twice as fast charge time) Lucid Air. The interior is nice, but lacks the finesse and craftsmanship one expects at that price point—and the lack of physical controls for audio and climate control didn’t help. In fact, the staffer conducting the walkthrough couldn’t even find the icon for the climate control that you need to adjust the vents (because there’s no physical control). Despite the rather jarring appearance of the external sensors--including lidar--there's no handsfree capability, unlike what GM, Ford, and Stellantis (among others) already offer. And, as far as personalization, the Afeela 1 apparently comes in any color you want—as long as you don’t want any color. The admittedly nice metallic black is shared with Acura, along with Afeela-specific gray and white—but, again, look to Lucid to see what choices they offer for $10,000 less. I confess, I’m not an audiophile, so that particular capability is lost on me—but the emphasis on movies and games only seems worthwhile if you are constantly carrying passengers in your vehicle, which doesn’t seem to be common in most sedans in America. I don’t envy those Afeela store managers trying to convince potential buyers about the value proposition here—it’s a hard sell.
Alongside the Afeela 1 was what I assume will be creatively branded as the Afeela 2. Not due to launch for another two years, it’s an attractive but somewhat anonymous midsize SUV coupe. We couldn’t see the interior and don’t have any mechanical specs, but they are likely to mirror the Afeela 1—and if the range, performance, and charging speed don’t change significantly, the Afeela 2 will likely be as uncompetitive as its sedan sibling.
In contrast, BMW Group’s new iX3—the first Neue Klasse (a/k/a New Class) EV—was quite impressive. More aesthetically pleasing than the BMW iX, it boasts an impressive EV range (up to 400 miles), insanely quick charging, and a new approach to human-machine interface that definitely works for me. The Panoramic iDrive—with a slim, wide display at the base of the windshield and a parallelogram-shaped central touchscreen—seemed to put the right info in the right place. The haptic steering wheel controls weren’t quite as pleasing as actual mechanical switches, but the feedback was pretty strong. The only surprise was BMW’s slow roll on AI; while it uses Alexa+--their new AI-driven digital assistant—— it’s a bit underpowered compared to Mercedes’ use of both Microsoft and Google AI in their upcoming GLB EQ. Still, this is a quantum improvement over the previous ICE-based iX3, and bodes well for what BMW says are 40 new models coming off this architecture.
Consulting firm McKinsey & Company shared some analyses with the team on both battery trends and autonomous vehicles. They highlighted the current overcapacity in batteries—an additional 900 GWh versus the roughly 2 TWh demand—and noted they expect lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are likely to be the predominant chemistry by 2035. Although sodium-ion batteries are being developed by several Chinese companies, McKinsey expects this to represent only about 8% of the total battery mix due to their lower energy density. Meanwhile, they noted that investment in autonomous driving is now outpacing investment in electrification—a data point supported by the strong focus on autonomous technology at CES this year. They noted the three enablers for success in shared mobility are safety, affordability, and profitability, and accessibility and acceptance, with the latter being a key psychological barrier.
Finally, Clarios, a leader in low-voltage battery technologies for mobility, shared its future technology vision. The biggest story is their development of sodium-ion battery technology, working with Slovakia’s Inobat and Sweden’s Altris. They note these batteries are made from the world's most abundant and readily available raw materials: salt, wood, iron, air—which conveniently takes China out of the equation. A viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries—with excellent low temperature performance, no thermal events, and the ability to discharge to zero volts with no problems—they could also replace conventional lead-acid batteries once production volumes reach scale. Clarios is also developing supercapacitor technology, which Lamborghini leveraged for the Sian hybrid supercar several years ago. Clarios sees opportunities not only in automotive hybrids, but also in data centers (a hot topic these days, especially in my home state of Michigan) and grid and renewable energy.
Once again, I found myself drinking from the proverbial firehose today and learning quite a bit in the process. Tomorrow, I’ll be spending most of my time in the West Hall—where much of the automotive tech can be found—so stay tuned for more news…
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