LAS VEGAS
Electric roller skates and a sleek, black electric motorcycle caught the eyes of hundreds of tech reporters at an early CES 2023 Unveiled event here.
Nearby, a Canadian and a Frenchman showed off a model of a modern-day Flying Whales dirigible designed for sustainable air transport of goods and passengers.
They joined a number of smaller, privately-backed startups and government-sponsored early-stage projects putting a focus on transportation sustainability. But transportation was just one theme alongside new medical technologies and home energy-saving tech like an electric-powered water heater.
As it often goes at CES, it was sometimes hard to tell whether the technologies were more interesting than the inventors and engineers showing off their creations. The atmosphere at the CES Unveiled event was electric, if even zany.
“We figured with everything going electric, why not roller skates?” said Mohamed Soliman of AtmosGear as he zipped around the show floor dodging and weaving through the crowd. Soliman is clearly a good skater--electric tech inventor or not.
Soliman wouldn’t reveal many details about the electric motor installed inside the center wheel of each in-line skate but he boasted they can reach speeds of 20 mph with a range of 20 miles. They even include a button-controlled, handheld braking system.
Nearby, a sleek new electric Verge motorcycle was on display featuring a fast charge for a battery capable of a range of 225 miles. The new Verge TS Ultra model shown at CES is now available for reservations in the US, although earlier models have made an appearance in Europe.
Verge Motorcycles boasts a rim motor inside the rear wheel which enables a larger battery for longer range. A charge is possible in 25 minutes. It offers 201 horsepower and acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. Prices will range from $27,000 to $45,000.
Flying Whales showed off a model of its helium-filled dirigible, the LCA60T, that offers vertical takeoff and landing and can reach speeds of 60 mph. It is 600 feet long and 150 feet in diameter. A first flight could come in 2023, according to two representatives at the event, including Pierre-Yves Fouillen, based in Montreal.
The company has raised private funds and is also supported by the governments of France, Canada and Monaco.
As with the electric motorcycle and electric skates, a big focus of Flying Whales is sustainability. It requires no ground footprint and almost zero emissions, making it suitable for use by construction groups or farming operations in remote areas.