The end of the screen era
CES 2026 has quietly closed the door on a decade-long obsession with screens. Bigger tablets, curved displays and passenger-side entertainment are no longer the headline. Instead, the focus has shifted to something far more consequential: intelligence.
This is the year the car stopped behaving like a rolling iPad and started acting like a thinking partner. From batteries that recharge faster than a coffee break to AI systems that can reason through ambiguity, the technology unveiled in Las Vegas will directly shape UK roads in 2026 and 2027.
Sony Honda Mobility AFEELA: the car that communicates
Sony Honda Mobility revealed the AFEELA Prototype 2026, evolving the original sedan concept into an SUV-style platform. The defining feature remains the Media Bar: a digital display integrated into the front of the vehicle that allows the car to communicate externally.
- The social interface: The Media Bar uses light and graphics to signal intent. It can display charging status, indicate when it is safe for pedestrians to cross, or show personalised greetings to the driver.
- A mobile entertainment space: Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis, the cabin is treated as a mobile living room. Passengers can play console-quality games and stream immersive content across a panoramic dashboard display.
- Launch roadmap: The AFEELA 1 sedan is now in pre-production with deliveries expected in late 2026. The SUV-style prototype shown at CES is planned for a 2028 release.
The ONEEV perspective: Vehicles like AFEELA blur the line between transport and high-performance computing. That level of onboard processing increases demand for consistent, high-voltage ultra-rapid charging, something ONEEV already maps across the UK.
Nvidia Alpamayo: the ChatGPT moment for EVs
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang described CES 2026 as the “ChatGPT moment for physical AI.” The launch of Alpamayo marks a shift from pattern recognition to genuine reasoning inside vehicles.
- Chain-of-thought logic: Instead of simply reacting to what it sees, Alpamayo reasons through scenarios. A green light is no longer a binary signal if a distracted pedestrian appears likely to step into the road.
- Physical AI: The system is trained on thousands of hours of real-world driving data plus millions of synthetic miles. Crucially, it can explain why it made a decision, a key requirement for UK and EU regulators.
- Mercedes-Benz deployment: Nvidia confirmed Mercedes-Benz will be the first manufacturer to deploy this level of physical AI in production vehicles.
ProLogium: the 1,000 km solid-state battery
If range anxiety was the EV industry’s longest-running concern, ProLogium delivered one of CES 2026’s most decisive answers. Its Superfluidised All-Inorganic Solid-State Battery is production-ready, not a lab experiment.
- 600+ mile range: Targeting up to 1,000 km on a single charge for premium vehicles.
- Five-minute charging: Thanks to a superfluidised electrolyte, the battery can reach 60 to 80 percent charge in as little as four to six minutes.
- Safety by design: The solid-state architecture is non-flammable and includes an Active Safety Mechanism that passivates the battery under extreme stress, making thermal runaway exceptionally unlikely.
What CES 2026 means for UK drivers
These announcements collectively show that the infrastructure gap is narrowing. When cars charge in minutes and reason through complex situations, the barriers to EV adoption fall rapidly.
However, a thinking car is only as effective as the network supporting it. Ultra-rapid charging, reliable locations, strong connectivity and clear availability data become essential rather than optional.
The UK rollout: from Las Vegas to British roads
The most immediate impact will come from the Nvidia and Mercedes-Benz partnership. Alpamayo-powered vehicles are scheduled to reach the UK in Q2 2026, debuting in the new Mercedes-Benz CLA.
- Reasoning on narrow streets: Chain-of-thought AI is particularly well suited to UK driving conditions such as blind bends, double-parked vans and unpredictable cyclists.
- Transparency for insurers: The ability to provide a reasoning trace aligns with UK insurance and regulatory expectations.
How ONEEV prepares you for the thinking car era
As vehicles become more intelligent, charging becomes more specialised. ONEEV is evolving alongside this shift.
- Connectivity ratings: Identifying hubs with strong 5G coverage for over-the-air updates.
- Solid-state readiness: Filtering for 350 kW plus chargers capable of supporting next-generation batteries.
- Smart route planning: Matching your vehicle’s state of health and charging capability to the right locations.
Conclusion: the future is not just electric, it is intelligent
CES 2026 will be remembered as the moment the automotive industry stopped asking how many screens a car should have and started asking how well it should think.
The UK is next. As these technologies arrive on British roads, the drivers who thrive will be those who pair intelligent vehicles with intelligent infrastructure.
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