CES 2019: Blueprint for future auto shows?

Mobility technology of every stripe was showcased at this year's techfest in Vegas.

The mammoth annual trade event formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show has escalated into an automotive techfest, with OEMs and suppliers of every size and from every industry segment using the week-long event to showcase their advanced technologies. It's a mind-boggling, often unwieldy and grueling grind in Las Vegas for reporters, but CES is undeniably a must-attend event both for media and for all organizations working in autonomous and connected mobility.

Talk about diversity: At what other trade show would you see demonstrations and displays by John Deere, PACCAR (which showed the latest iteration of its hydrogen-fueled Kenworth tractor powered by two Toyota fuel cells), Bell Helicopter (displaying its vertical-takeoff, electric-fan-propelled Air Taxi), along with expansive booths from Honda, Daimler, Hyundai, Ford, Aptiv, Delphi, Continental, ZF and others?