LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The car shopping experts at Edmunds today announced the winners of the second annual Edmunds CES Tech Driven Awards program honoring innovative automotive technologies debuting at CES 2019. Taking home honors this year are electric car startup Byton, Hyundai's Elevate concept vehicle and Valeo's XtraVue Trailer.
"As automakers strive to transform themselves into mobility companies of the future, and automotive technology increasingly becomes an extension of our homes and offices, it makes a lot of sense that automakers and suppliers descend on CES to debut their latest and greatest," said Alistair Weaver, editor-in-chief at Edmunds. "The winners of this year's Edmunds CES Tech Driven Awards are no exception, and they deftly combine practical innovation for today's vehicles with the exciting potential of tomorrow that CES is known for."
2019 Edmunds CES Tech Driven Award Winners:
Byton M-Byte
Byton announced the M-Byte EV concept last year, but this year debuted a near-production ready model with a stunning interior that is set to launch at the end of 2020. The M-Byte promises competitive specs including a driving range of 325 miles, but it's the wraparound dash with 48-inch screen and touchscreens on the steering wheel and center console that has everyone talking at CES.
Hyundai Elevate concept
The Elevate concept, by Hyundai's Center for Robotic-Augmented Design in Living Experiences (CRADLE) division, is an "Ultimate Mobility Vehicle" that in addition to driving like a traditional vehicle can also convert to a walking robot. The vehicle's four robotic legs are designed to navigate difficult terrain and traverse obstacles a traditional vehicle cannot, which is beneficial to first-responders in a disaster or even for people with disabilities. While the Elevate will likely never see production, the blending of robotics and automotive technologies presents a new world of possibilities.
Valeo XtraVue Trailer
Designed to eliminate the large blind spot when towing a trailer, this system pairs the vehicle's rearview camera with another camera placed at the rear of the trailer and combines two feeds into a single image using augmented reality techniques. This tech allows the driver to see what is behind and around the trailer via a live view in the infotainment screen or rearview mirror. It's a practical yet forward-thinking solution that uses technology to improve towing safety and should be available soon as a factory option.
The Edmunds CES Tech Driven Awards honor the most innovative automotive technologies, vehicles, concepts or products debuting at CES by official CES exhibitors. The awards function as a "best-in-show" recognition of exhibitors that Edmunds editors believe have the greatest combination of innovation, creativity, future potential and actual deployment.
Edmunds will announce the second phase of the Tech Driven Award program later in February. These awards will recognize the three automakers that have done the best job of integrating state-of-the-art technology into currently available vehicles, and will be presented in three categories: In-Car Features, Engineering Technology Features, and Safety or Driving Aids.
About Edmunds
Edmunds is the leading car information and shopping platform, helping millions of visitors each month find their perfect car. With products such as Edmunds Your Price, Your Lease and Used+, shoppers can buy smarter with instant, upfront prices for cars and trucks currently for sale at more than 13,000 dealer franchises across the U.S. Edmunds' in-house team of unbiased car-shopping experts provide industry-leading vehicle reviews and shopping tips, and the company also has a 20-year-old forums community of car shoppers and enthusiasts, where members can get shopping advice and learn what others are buying and leasing cars for. The company is regarded as one of America's best workplaces by Fortune and Great Place to Work. Edmunds is based in Santa Monica, California, and has a satellite office in downtown Detroit, Michigan.
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SOURCE Edmunds
