During the Drone Rodeo at CES, the fastest pilots race for aerial supremacy

By Will Nicol Published January 9, 2018

Roughly 45 minutes from the Las Vegas strip, amid the sprawling sands and sparse flora of the desert, lies the Aerodrome, the premier location for drone enthusiasts to come and learn how to fly. It’s a place where drone pilots can fly without fear of breaking regulations. For years now, when CES rolls around, drone crowds descend on the aerodrome for the Drone Rodeo, an event where manufacturers can show off the latest in drone technology, where hobbyists can learn all about the next generation of drones, and perhaps most impressively, where drone racers flaunt their skills in dazzling displays of drone maneuvering.

“We’re super excited to be out here again,” Skyfire Consulting CEO Ben Kroll told Digital Trends. “This year we’ve got a lot of stuff going on. We’ve got drone racing, we’ve got MultiGP, which is an international organization that’s done drone races all over the place. And then we’ve got several different vendors that are out here, showing off new technology.”

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That new technology should excite maverick drone racers who feel the need for speed. This year, according to Kroll, “We’ve got a couple of folks that are proclaiming to have the fastest production racing drone in the world right now.”

To the uninitiated, drone racing may not sound all that impressive, but compared to ordinary drone flying, it’s another world entirely. Racing drones can exceed speeds of 100mph and require constant, precise control to avoid crashing. Making things even more challenging, racers wear headsets during the race, seeing the world through their drone’s camera lenses.

Drone racing can be an intimidating scene, given the equipment and skill involved, but one of the companies involved with the Drone Rodeo, Fat Shark, has designed an entry-level racing drone (complete with headset) in the hopes of easing novices into the high-octane world.

Drone racers may have competition in the future — from the drones themselves. Among the trends in the drone world in 2018 is the development of autonomous drones. “One of the things that’s been difficult,” Kroll said, “is to develop an indoor autonomous flying drone that can learn as it flies, and learn its surroundings as it flies.”

Former Senior Writer

Will Nicol is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends. He covers a variety of subjects, particularly emerging technologies, movies…

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Zoox recalls robotaxis after Las Vegas crash, citing software fix

Amazon's self-driving vehicle unit, Zoox, has issued a voluntary safety recall after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a minor collision in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in April 2025, led the company to investigate and identify a software issue affecting how the robotaxi anticipates another vehicle’s path.
The recall, affecting 270 Zoox-built vehicles, was formally filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Zoox said the issue has already been addressed through a software update that was remotely deployed to its fleet.
Zoox’s robotaxis, which operate without driving controls like a steering wheel or pedals, are part of Amazon’s entry into the autonomous driving space. According to Zoox’s safety recall report, the vehicle failed to yield to oncoming traffic while making an unprotected left turn, leading to a low-speed collision with a regular passenger car. While damage was minor, the event raised flags about the system’s behavior in complex urban scenarios.
Establishing safety and reliability remain key factors in the deployment of the relatively new autonomous ride-hailing technology. Alphabet-owned Waymo continues to lead the sector in both safety and operational scale, with services active in multiple cities including Phoenix and San Francisco. But GM’s Cruise and Ford/VW-backed Argo AI were forced to abandon operations over the past few years.
Tesla is also expected to enter the robotaxi race with the launch of its own service in June 2025, leveraging its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. While FSD has faced heavy regulatory scrutiny through last year, safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration.
Zoox, which Amazon acquired in 2020, says it issued the recall voluntarily as part of its commitment to safety. “It’s essential that we remain transparent about our processes and the collective decisions we make,” the company said in a statement.

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Mitsubishi’s back in the EV game—with a new electric SUV coming in 2026

mitsubishi bev 2026 momentum 2030 line up

Mitsubishi is officially jumping back into the U.S. electric vehicle scene—and this time, it’s not just dipping a toe. The company confirmed it will launch a brand-new battery-electric SUV in North America starting in summer 2026, marking its first fully electric model here since the quirky little i-MiEV left the stage back in 2017.
The new EV will be a compact crossover, and while Mitsubishi is keeping most of the juicy details under wraps, we do know it’ll be based on the same next-gen platform as the upcoming Nissan Leaf. That means it’ll ride on the CMF-EV architecture—the same one underpinning the Nissan Ariya—which supports ranges of up to 300+ miles. So yeah, this won’t be your average entry-level EV.
Designed in partnership with Nissan, the new model will be built in Japan and shipped over to U.S. shores. No word yet on pricing, battery size, or even a name, but Mitsubishi has made it clear this EV is just the beginning. As part of its “Momentum 2030” plan, the company promises a new or updated vehicle every year through the end of the decade, with four electric models rolling out by 2028. And yes, one of those might even be a pickup.
Mitsubishi says the goal is to give customers “flexible powertrain options,” which is marketing speak for: “We’ll have something for everyone.” So whether you're all-in on electric or still into gas or hybrid power, they're aiming to have you covered.
This mystery EV will eventually sit alongside Mitsubishi’s current U.S. lineup—the Outlander, Outlander PHEV, Eclipse Cross, and Outlander Sport—and help the brand move beyond its current under-the-radar status in the electric world.
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Toyota unveils 2026 bZ: A smarter, longer-range electric SUV

toyota bz improved bz4x 2026 0007 1500x1125

Toyota is back in the electric SUV game with the 2026 bZ, a major refresh of its bZ4X that finally delivers on two of the biggest demands from EV drivers: more range and faster charging.
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Charging speeds haven’t increased in terms of raw kilowatts (still capped at 150 kW for DC fast charging), but Toyota has significantly improved how long peak speeds are sustained. With preconditioning enabled—especially helpful in colder weather—the new bZ can charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Also new: Plug and Charge support for automatic payment at compatible stations and full adoption of the North American Charging Standard (NACS), meaning access to Tesla Superchargers will be standard by 2026.
Under the hood, or rather the floor, Toyota has swapped in higher-performance silicon carbide components to improve efficiency and power delivery. The AWD version now produces up to 338 horsepower and sprints from 0–60 mph in a brisk 4.9 seconds.
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With the 2026 bZ, Toyota seems to be responding directly to critiques of the bZ4X. It’s faster, more efficient, and more driver-friendly—finally bringing Toyota’s EV efforts up to speed.