Transportation technology at CES 2026 isn't just about what vehicles look like — it's about how they move, how they think and how they respond in real time.
From electric boats to autonomous driving systems, the focus this year is on how vehicles perform in the real world, not just on the show floor.
That surprising jolt is electric acceleration, and it's rewriting what speed and comfort on the water feels like.
"It's honestly almost every aspect of the experience gets better. You can hold a conversation. It's absent any sort of fumes. It's more performant. And then you get, unlock all this incredible software that takes that experience from better to best," said Mitch Lee, co-founder of Arc Boats.
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Scripps News Group Business and Tech Correspondent Maura Barrett met Lee on Lake Mead, about 30 minutes away from the hectic CES show floor, for the chance to test drive their new all-electric sport boat.
Despite skepticism from the current administration about investing in electric technology, Lee said his boat is a direct competitor to other premium sport boats, using a lot of the same tech found in electric vehicles, regardless of rolled-back incentives.
When asked about the president's comments regarding electric batteries and water, Lee addressed safety concerns directly.
"Think about your electric cars. They go through car washes, they ford rivers, they do all this crazy stuff in and around water, withstand hurricanes," Lee said. "Now you contrast that to the safety profile of a gas boat. I'm not sure how familiar you are, but those things catch on fire frequently."
Back on land, despite most automakers rolling back their electric vehicle plans to focus on autonomous driving, startup Electric Fish is banking on their battery-powered fast charger. The company has plans to partner with gas stations across the country, promising a 10-minute charge.
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"We can charge cars faster, faster than anything else on the market, but we don't put any extra stress on the grid. We can grow that infrastructure right now, we do not need to wait for the grid to catch up," said Leonardo Mattiazzi, president of Electric Fish.
When asked about the whiplash in electric vehicle investments, Mattiazzi acknowledged the challenges while remaining optimistic.
"It is kind of sad that this is happening, but carmakers are going to progressively decrease the cost of EVs, and we actually remove a lot of stress from the grid," Mattiazzi said.
During a drive-along with Ambarella, which designs imaging solutions, I saw the future of path-planning capabilities for self-driving cars via their new radar technology.
"We have a very long detection range and a very clean detection. We can detect a pedestrian from 350 meters away," said Ted Chua, director of product marketing and radar technology for Ambarella. "That's about a thousand feet. That gives the car enough time to react."
Whether it's on water or on wheels, the next generation of transportation has brains behind the speed.
While these improvements largely impact consumers, they're hitting the supply chain soon, too.
Self-driving startups are partnering with suppliers to scale hardware for autonomous shipping trucks. Even Arc Boats is thinking bigger, building a 26-foot electric tugboat that will serve the Port of Los Angeles as soon as next year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
