Mobility was by far and away the most innovative sector to be represented at CES 2023, and I’m not just referring to the leaps and bounds being made in the consumer-focused EV space. The mobility sector also presents a plethora of use cases for CE retail that extend beyond the showroom. Below are our favorite mobility products from the event and how they can help improve the CE retail experience.
Boost Charger 200 from Freewire Technologies
An EV charging station designed to be implemented by independent business owners, the Boost Charger 200 features a unique battery-integrated design that allows it to seamlessly connect to energy infrastructure while avoiding troublesome demand fees, which typically make operating an EV charging station remarkably expensive. The key to avoiding these demand fees, which come from sucking power from the energy grid at peak hours, is off-peak charging of the 160 kWh battery capacity, which can be used to charge 15 cars over the course of the day without pulling from the grid.
In regards to how retailers can leverage the EV charging station to drive traffic, Connor Botkin, Marketing Director for Freewire Technologies, said in an exclusive interview with Dealerscope: “We don’t control any of the pricing. If you want to offer it for free as a promotional campaign to attract more customers then you can do that. If you want to charge 40 cents per kilowatt hour you can do that as well. It’s up to the retailer to decide on pricing.”
CLEVON 1
The CLEVON 1 is one of those solutions that was just too innovative to ignore when I stumbled upon the company’s booth at Eureka Park. An autonomous EV designed to simplify last-mile delivery, the CLEVON 1 is already operational on streets in Europe and has traveled nearly 12,000 miles on public roads. The CLEVON 1 utilizes a unique combination of fast service area mapping, telesupervision and autonomous driving capabilities that allow the robot to map out a new geographic area while immediately delivering service to customers. The impressive telesupervision capabilities were on full display at CES where guests to the booth could enter a cockpit and drive one of the company’s robots located 1,195 miles away at its Dallas facility. The CLEVON 1 is available now in the U.S. market.
Squad Solar City Car from Squad Mobility
The only concept car to make the list, the Squad Solar City Car stands out for its simplicity and functionality. The car has a range of 100 km while utilizing four portable and swappable 1.6 kWh batteries and is equipped with a solar panel on the roof, which according to Squad Mobility can add up to 20 km of range per day. Designed to be used in the city or within a suburban community, the two-seater L6 Version at just 6 feet is as long as most cars are wide making it possible to park perpendicularly to the curb. The car has a top speed of just around 30 mph and will come to market with a very reasonable price tag of $6,795.
Candela C-8
Not much explanation is needed for why this one made the list, the Candela C-8 is both innovative and downright sexy. The hydrofoil technology utilizes two carbon-fiber wings to elevate the boat’s hull out of the water, practically eliminating drag. This dynamic allows the Candela C-8 to cruise at a speed of 22 kn while running the engine at a remarkably efficient 30 horsepower. The boat is also fully equipped with a series of sensors, which automatically adjust the boat’s position relative to the water to maintain peak stability.
