Where Are All the New Cars? New cars were scant at CES this year, largely because the center of gravity for the auto world has moved--technologically and geographically--to China. This robotaxi built by Uber, Lucid, and Nuro was one of the few cars announced at CES, and it's not even one you can buy. Some years ago now, a very senior Mercedes executive in the US confided in me that CES was "the second-most important car show in the world, after Detroit." Before the auto world's full-on EV boom, this was quite the thing to admit--shocking, in fact--but it marked the subsequent carmaker takeover of the world's largest tech show. This year in Las Vegas, however, the cars were almost nowhere to be seen.

An Israeli defense contractor on Monday unveiled a remote-controlled armed robot it says can patrol battle zones, track infiltrators and open fire. The unmanned vehicle is the latest addition to the world of drone technology, which is rapidly reshaping the modern battlefield. Proponents say such semi-autonomous machines allow armies to protect their soldiers, while critics fear this marks another dangerous step toward robots making life-or-death decisions. The four-wheel-drive robot presented Monday was developed by the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries' "REX MKII." It is operated by an electronic tablet and can be equipped with two machine guns, cameras and sensors, said Rani Avni, deputy head of the company's autonomous systems division.

The automaker has unveiled the 2020 XE, an entry luxury sedan that packs a surprising amount of tech. Most notably, an optional Smart Settings feature uses AI to automatically fine-tune the seating, steering column, climate control and music preferences to your tastes, using a combination of the key fob and your smartphone to determine who's who. This is also Jaguar's first car with wireless phone charging. And if you're willing to spend, you'll get the same 12.3-inch digital info cluster and touchscreen infotainment system as the I-Pace. An equally optional ClearSight rear view mirror gives you a camera view of what's behind, while a second-gen heads-up display can project your speed, directions and other vital details.

Amputees and others with accessibility needs might soon have an easier time hopping into cars. Jaguar Land Rover has created a'mobility door' that uses a mix of current keyless entry tech and motion sensors to automatically open when you approach. You might only have to swing in when you're ready to drive. You can press buttons both overhead and on the infotainment system to open or close doors, and there's radar to prevent the door from smacking another car or a lamp post. The company is currently testing the door on a modified Range Rover Sport with athlete and former commando Mark Ormrod (above) giving it a full shakedown.

The Jaguar I-Pace is Tesla's first challenger in the luxury electric car segment and a charmer, says Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu. Jaguars have always been known for their long hoods, and the luscious, often loud engines that they cover. Even the automaker's initial foray into SUVs, the F-Pace, followed this formula. It's called the I-Pace, and it's not only Jaguar's first electric vehicle, but also the first battery-powered luxury model to take on Tesla since the Model S went on sale six long years ago. Instead of Jaguar's familiar, not really feline profile, the compact SUV features what's called a cab-forward design.

When it comes to autonomous-vehicle testing, Waymo is one of the obvious leaders. Earlier this March, Navigant Research named Waymo, because of its vision, partners, go-to market strategy, technology, production strategy, product quality and reliability sales, marketing and distribution, product capability, staying power, and product portfolio, as a leader in the race. As a leader, Waymo announced that its autonomous vehicles had impressively traveled a total of 5 million miles earlier this year. That was an impressive figure, as it took the company just three months to reach -- three months from breaking the 4-million mile mark. At the time, the technology company claimed that its vehicles were traveling the same amount of miles the average American driver travels in a year in one day.

This morning at Chelsea Piers in NYC, Waymo CEO John Krafcik announced a new model of car powered by Waymo's self-driving technology. Dubbed the world's first premium fully self-driving car, Waymo has partnered with Jaguar Land Rover to bring the Waymo-outfitted Jaguar I-PACE to the public. Waymo plans to outfit 20,000 units to be used for Waymo's public self-driving service over the next few years, which will allow the service to offer 1 million rides per day. This is the sixth model in Waymo's lineup, including a small car, an SUV, a firefly prototype, a minivan (the Pacifica we're all familiar with) and a semi-truck for operations. "We want to build a self-driving car for every passenger and every trip," said John Krafcik at the reveal.

Self-driving cars have gotten so advanced in recent years that many proponents believe humans should be banned from driving altogether. But the boss of Google's Waymo, which is widely considered to be the leader in autonomous vehicle testing, doesn't agree. At a media event in New York City, Waymo CEO John Krafcik was asked whether he believed the rise of self-driving cars would eventually remove the need for human drivers. 'Good heavens, no,' Krafcik told Jalopnik. John Krafcik, the CEO of Waymo, stands with the Jaguar I-Pace vehicle on Tuesday.

"Our ultimate goal is to provide a self-driving vehicle tailored to every trip and every purpose," said CEO John Krafcik on stage today at New York's Chelsea Piers. This year, Waymo will build out and begin testing self-driving I-Pace cars, but those vehicles won't become part of its fleet until 2020. This latest deal will no doubt sting Tesla, which has struggled with its autonomous technology. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, with his repeated showboating of his car's advanced assisted-driver capabilities, put pressure on automakers and other self-driving car outfits to build their technology quickly. But the company's competitors appear to be surpassing the unconventional electric car company. So far, Waymo has been building its technology into Chrysler Hybrid Pacifica minivans, a vehicle more geared toward families.

Uber's efforts suffered a major setback when one of its autonomous cars struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona last week. On Monday, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey suspended Uber's self-driving vehicle testing privileges, stating in a letter to CEO Dara Khosrowshahi that video footage of the crash raised concerns about the San Francisco-based company's ability to safely test its technology in Arizona.