We round up our favorite, most electrifying concept cars of 2024. From ultraluxury icons to autonomous coupes to an all-electric, tire-smoking drifting machine, each gives us a different vision of the future of automotive technology.

Now behind every safe and sedate production car that you and I are able to buy, there is a designer or an engineer with some frankly wild ambitions and concept cars are where they get to let it all hang out, really let those freak flags fly. Now whether you're talking about testing new technologies or previewing cutting edge design, concept cars are also where you and I get to weigh in on what's next in automotive, and these are the best concept cars of 2024. Now my favorite bit of trivia about the Kia PV5 Weekender is that it's a concept car based on another concept car. See, in January at CES, Kia rolled out its platform Beyond Vehicle series of purpose-built vehicles for blank slate, highly configurable microvans designed around modular construction, electrification, and in some cases high levels of autonomy. Think little electric delivery vans for the city. Fast forward to the SEA show and we get the PV 5 Weekender concept, an electric overlanding van based on the PVV concepts. The weekender adapts for the trail with a lifted suspension, a winch with a digital gauge, beefed up bumpers and recovery points, and flared wheel arches to make room for the off-road tires, which are mounted on hydro turbine wheels that can generate electricity while parked using little more than the wind or moving water. This is perhaps the most concept car feature here. Inside, the PVV's concept of a modular mobile space is in full effect, able to be transformed into a tiny living and off-grid working space and featuring a slide out kitchen for campsite cooking. Up top, the solar roof pops up, allowing you to stand up inside the little van and can power all of your outdoor gear while trigger charging the battery when camping to make sure the weekender is ready to rock when it's time to return to civilization on Monday. Another CES debut was the Honda Zero duo of Electric concepts, but it was the Zero saloon that stole the show with its dark, futuristic take on 1980s supercar vibes. Now within the simple wedge shape, there's space for 4 passengers, and I say passengers because while you can, and I very much want to drive this thing, the Xero series is designed around robotics-based autonomous driving tech. So the idea is that the drive-by wire steering. It could be retracted into the dashboard for full autonomous driving or to make getting in and out easier and then it could be deployed when you want to experience the joy of driving. Now, mostly the saloon makes the list because it looks so cool with its gold wing doors, but it's worth your attention because of Honda's claim that most of what you see here will make its way into the next generation of dedicated electric cars slated to launch in 2026. You can check out more about this dark horse by following the links in the normal places. Things are getting weird at Jaguar and I'm loving it. Earlier this year, the luxury British automaker announced that it's stopping down production on most of its vehicles while it gears up for a vaguely defined reinvention as an electric car brand, and in November it announced a rebranding with a new look, a new logo, and a colorful new copy no one promo video with no cars. Traditional drag stands were, let's say concerned. And then came the Type 00 concept, a long and low GT coupe concept that marries the proportions of Jag's past with the clean and sharp EV styling of the brand's future. The simple stark design with its LED strip headlights draws attention to the long hood, the flowing roof, and the massive wheels, but it hides interesting details like hidden rearview cameras that deploy when you need them and then tuck away behind brass accents when you're parked. And yes, this first showing of Jag's new copy Nothing design ethos looks like it borrows a lot from Audi design, but I'm mostly just here for the chaos that Jaguars created amongst both its fandom and people who haven't seriously thought about the brand for years. Yes, the Cadillac Soleil concept is a convertible version of the ultra luxury Cadillac Celesttique concept, but is there anything more iconic than a big convertible Cadillac? Argue that out in the comments. And besides, there's more to this than just a topectomy. The all-electric 2 + 2 is dripped in a manila cream yellow hue originally used on 1957 and 1958 Cadillac cars. Inside, the upholstery features a sunburst motif which is repeated throughout the design on the complementary wood inlays in the doors and in the seats. Everywhere you look, there's a subtle pink iridescent pigmentation that only really pops under the sunlight. Now the rest of the Sole's details and specs closely match those of the Celesttique upon which it's based, because this is mostly a styling exercise focused on luxurious materials and design and the concept of an even more limited coach-built variation of what's already a limited run $300,000 plus electric car. Oh look, another wedgy electric sports car. OK, sure, but the Lotus Theory 1 is just too crazy, not to mention. Where to start? The central McLaren F1 inspired driving position, the dihedral synchro helix doors. How about the crazy peak output of 987 horsepower and a 0 to 60 time in under 2.5 ticks? This thing's claims are insane. But the detail that stands out to me most is the weight. If you're familiar with Lotus, then you've heard the phrase simplify and add lightness, which is attributed to the brand's founder. So one of the main focuses of the theory 1 is light weighting, which can be best seen in the car's central carbon fiber tub. At less than 3500 pounds, it's still pretty heavy, but light for an EV with dual motor a wheel drive, which is how Lotus reckons it'll be able to top 200 MPH and 250 miles of range, though not simultaneously, of course, with just a 70 kilowatt hour battery. Honorable mention goes to the PoleStar TRX designed by Shashank Shakar. Technically not a concept car, this electric. Up truck is the winner of PoleStar's 2024 Hot Wheels design contest. It merges the big chunky wheels and comically raised suspension with exposed EV hardware. I mean, there's a PoleStar car in there somewhere. The DNA can be seen in the yellow highlights and the sheet metal details and the brand's LED light signature. And unlike every other car on this list, you'll be able to buy a Pulsar TRX of your own at 164 scale when Hot Wheels releases the concept in toy form sometime in the future. Now this list is mostly in no particular order, but I do have a favorite, the Hyundai RN 24, which I was able to actually drive recently. I mean, how often do you get to say that about a concept car? The tube chassis RN 24. Is the latest in Hyundai's in performance wing series of rolling lab concept cars which it uses to evaluate technologies that usually make their way into production performance cars. The feature tested here is the e-hand brake with Regen braking force, a fully electric handbrake that uses the rear electric motors to instantly lock the rear wheels for rally inspired gym kind of drifts and slides. I tried it myself and it's crazy how well it works without pads or hydraulics. To keep the slide going is the powertrain from the Hyundai Ionic 5N with dual electric motors making 641 horsepower. It's got drift differentials, suspension and steering bits from Hyundai's winning rally car, and an amped up version of the brand's inactive Sound Plus, which generates engine sound using speakers mounted around the chassis. OK, that last bit doesn't add any performance, but it sounds great and it makes me giggle, which is what I love most about in cars. From the Veloster N to the new launcher and Ionic 5N models, they understand above all else that we're driving these cars because they're fun. Anyway, you can check out my full first drive of the Hyundai RN24 over on CNET.com, and that's where you'll also find us gearing up for CES 2025. Now, if you're a fan of concept cars and new technologies, you're not going to want to miss what's next in automotive, so drive safe and I'll see you there.