CES 2026 in Las Vegas: Dominance of Autonomous Vehicles and Robotics, Interest in Chinese Automakers in U.S. Market

Staff Report: PNN

At the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, American automobile manufacturers were no longer present. In their place, autonomous vehicle and robotics technology companies such as Zoox, Tensor Auto, Tier IV, and Waymo, Chinese automakers like Geely and GWM, and software and autonomous vehicle technology companies drew attention.

Hyundai showcased various robots at its large stand during the exhibition. Exhibits included the Atlas humanoid robot, a robot for charging autonomous electric vehicles, and a four-wheeled Mobile Eccentric Droid (MobEd), which is scheduled for production this year.

The main focus of the exhibition was physical artificial intelligence, also called embedded AI. These AI models, combined with sensors, cameras, and motorized controls, are capable of understanding the real environment and acting accordingly. This technology has been applied across agriculture, robotics, autonomous vehicles, drones, and industrial manufacturing.

Amnon Shashua, co-founder of Mobileye, stated, “The hype around humanoid robots is not new. There was similar hype about the internet. It does not mean it is a false idea; rather, it reflects real trends in the industry.”

Other important announcements at the exhibition included Nvidia’s Alpamayo AI model, which allows autonomous vehicles to think like humans; Uber’s new robotaxi, in collaboration with Lucid and Nuro; and Mobileye’s acquisition of Mentee Robotics for $900 million.

Some recent notable news: U.S. President Donald Trump supported the entry of Chinese automakers into the U.S. market, sparking debate within the domestic automotive industry. Canada has reduced its import tax on Chinese electric vehicles from 100% to only 6.1%. Allegiant Airlines acquired rival Sun Country Airlines. JetZero, a medium-sized triangular aircraft manufacturer, raised $175 million in Series B funding. Joby Aviation, a maker of electric air taxis, purchased a 700,000-square-foot production facility in Ohio. Luminar sold its LiDAR business to Quantum Computing Incorporated for $22 million. Tesla has removed the one-time fee option for its Full Self-Driving software and switched to a monthly subscription model. Wing, an on-demand drone delivery service, is expanding to 150 additional Walmart stores.

CES 2026 made it clear that robotics and artificial intelligence are increasingly influencing the automotive industry. Innovations associated with autonomous vehicles, robotics, and embedded AI are likely to bring significant changes to both the industry and daily life in the near future.