Sort of a German answer to Rinspeed, automotive engineering firm EDAG has a long history of introducing thought-provoking, outside-the-box concept cars, like skeletal 3D-printed light cars and pop-up sports car campers. In recent years, it's been more content contributing to concepts and products from other brands, including Bosch. But it came back with a vengeance at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, revealing an intelligent, talking autonomous concept car that easily pairs with various modules to perform tasks of all types and sizes in and around urban spaces. "Hello, I am CityBot, the future of mobility in cities. I am happy to answer any questions you may have."

Rinspeed has been dreaming up insane vehicles for years -- from scuba cars plucked from James Bond's garage to modded self-driving rides. Even if they never make it to the public, the concepts are at least fun to check out, and the Rinspeed Snap is no different. Essentially a modular vehicle in two parts, the Snap is made up of interchangeable pods that attach to a rolling chassis, which houses data-processing computers and the EV power train. When the latter starts ageing, you simply slide a new one under your existing pod, theoretically extending the lifecycle of the vehicle at a fraction of the cost of buying a new car. And, if you get bored of the top half, you can swap that out too. The pods Rinspeed teases in the accompanying video (see above) are built for passengers and cargo.

The 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas opens to the public on January 5 but will be preceded by press and preview days on January 3 and 4. This year's show will span across 2.5 million square feet of floor space spread across multiple venues and feature 3,800 exhibitors. "One of the big themes is going to be connectivity," Jeff Joseph, senior vice president for communications and strategic relationships at the Consumer Technology Association, which hosts CES. "For example, Internet of Things, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, voice-activated communication with things like Alexa and Google Home and higher-value content – 4K-produced content that you can move from device to device." In the past few years, more and more car companies and automotive suppliers have used CES to showcase their technological prowess, particularly in the area of self-driving cars.