Every year, both startups and legacy tech companies give us a sneak peek at their latest innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show — and in 2025, The Cool Down got a front-row seat to the incredible new technology powering a cleaner, cooler future.
We spent the week talking with some of the best in the biz about how this next-gen technology will help us save money, live healthier, and be easier on the planet — from EVs with 500-mile range extenders, to "smart" breaker boxes that'll let you control which appliances run when, to air quality monitors that'll track harmful pollutants in your home, and even to all-electric air taxis (yep, coming soon).
Here are a few of our favorite sustainable innovations coming soon:
🚘 The future of EVs, RVs, and taxis
The future of transportation is most certainly electric — but the focus at CES was on making electric transportation easier — whether it's an electric car or truck, an electric RV, or even an air taxi that'll take you to the airport in a matter of minutes.
The Cool Down talked with chief commercial officer Nikhil Goel at Archer Aviation, which has partnered with United and Southwest Airlines to offer electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to customers.
"We're trying to accelerate the movement from ground-based movements to air-based movements for people and things from A to B," he told us. "Our first foray into that is all-electric air taxis."
So, how far off is that vision?
"We're now at the point where it's no longer science fiction, but science fact," Goel said. The air taxis are flying every day at the company's test site in California and will begin flying this year in the United Arab Emirates.
We also got a look at Scout Motors, one of the most anticipated electric truck companies in the U.S. (estimated to ship in 2027). The company is grounded in the iconic International Scout off-road vehicle brand (popular between the 1960s and '80s) and is backed by one of the world's biggest car companies, Volkswagen.
Ryan Decker, head of strategy at Scout Motors, emphasized Scout's "made in America" approach (manufacturing will take place in South Carolina) and how the company is combining the "best of old world — the things that made an American truck an American Truck — with the best of new world" when it comes to EV features.
"We're going to deliver a really killer EV that's going to come with 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, with great torque, great performance," he explained. "But we're also going to offer a range-extended powertrain that helps solve those really serious anxieties that we know customers have."
The EV will deliver over 500 miles in total range and have the ability to refuel with electricity or gas through a built-in gas-powered generator.
From a design perspective, the company is also bringing back that front bench seat and tactile controls along the dashboard — instead of a large iPad-esque screen.
We also toured the Pebble Flow, a next-generation electric RV dubbed the iPhone of RVs. It's on a mission to "eliminate all the hassles that come with RV'ing and travel trailering," Pebble's team told us.
The RV comes with a 45-kilowatt-hour lithium iron battery and a 1.1-kilowatt solar array that can operate for up to seven days on an adventure or work as a backup power source or EV charging source. Plus, its "Magic Hitch" connects the trailer to the tow vehicle with the push of a button.
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Big time 👍 The sleek-looking trailer, which will be available in late spring 2025, boasts a sleek Scandinavian design and is priced between $109,000 and $175,000, but buyers may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $10,000 (Pebble's site says "we anticipate the credit for the battery storage system to be $8,800 and the credit associated with the optional solar system to be $1,200").
💚 Smart home tech for living healthier
We spend 60% of our time at home, so it tracks that one of the big innovation areas at CES was smart home technology — specifically, ways to make your home a healthier place to live.
Panasonic unveiled a new heating and air conditioning system called OASYS that recirculates the air in your home to provide fresher air, better temperature and humidity control, and energy savings of up to 50% compared to traditional systems, according to the team.
"Our responsibility is to provide and support people's lives and our planet," president of Panasonic Life Solutions Naoki Kamo told us.
The new system — which is powered by motion sensors throughout the home and a low-wattage continuous fan — is particularly beneficial for people who have breathing problems or allergies. The system can also address mold, mildew, and even wildfire smoke.
The Cool Down also spoke with the CEO of Airthings, a startup that "empowers people all over the world to breathe better" through air quality monitoring solutions for homes, schools, and businesses.
The company has sold over one million radon and air quality monitors that track carbon dioxide, harmful VOCs, particulate matter from wildfires, temperature changes, and humidity. In addition to monitors, the startup also sells an air purifier to address these concerns in your home.
For example, radon causes over 20,000 deaths annually in the U.S. and is the leading cause of non-smoker lung cancer, and CEO Emma Tryti told us that only 25% of U.S. households have tested for radon in their homes.
She also shared her personal experience discovering high radon levels in her child's bedroom, which led her to find ways to mitigate the problem and monitor the air quality throughout their home. Now, she checks the air quality daily when she wakes up to see how carbon levels affect her sleep.
💰 Home energy tech that'll save you money
What if your old-school breaker box could give you real-time data about how much energy your appliances are using?
The GE Savant team is making that a reality. They showed us how their Savant Power Systems smart panel tech helps homeowners manage their electricity usage more efficiently without expensive electrical panel upgrades. The system loops into an existing electrical breaker panel to monitor energy usage from each of your appliances — enabling you to prioritize power distribution.
For example, if you have an EV charger that requires 60 amps and you live in one of the 50 million homes in the U.S. that's only wired for 100 amps total, instead of having to upgrade your electrical panel to a 200-amp service (which could cost thousands of dollars), with the SmartPanel you can turn other appliances on and off to shift the load and charge your car — or you could charge at a time of day when energy costs are lower.
The system starts at $1,500, and GE Savant told us that customers could start seeing a return on their investment within two years.
We also got a futuristic demo of EcoFlow's new AI-driven home energy consumption system, which provides users with detailed analytics of their household energy use and potentially saves customers 20-50% on their electricity bill, according to the company.
Using predictive analysis, the system reviews your home energy use and sends suggestions on how to be more efficient or prepare for potential outages.
Backup power options were on full display at CES, with BioLite's streamlined batteries leading the way.
After providing over 15 million individuals with battery solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, the startup is now introducing a more accessible, affordable home energy solution in the U.S. that can be self-installed in under 30 minutes. It can provide enough power to backup appliances like your refrigerator for several days.
The system doesn't require solar panels (although you can sync them) — and it's a great solution for homeowners who are looking for more than a portable energy unit but less than a full home battery.
BioLite's batteries are designed to provide reliable energy for specific rooms or appliances that you want to protect during blackouts or extreme weather events — think keeping breast milk or insulin cold in the fridge, backing up a computer, or powering AC or a CPAP machine.
The base system costs $3,000 but qualifies for a 30% federal tax credit, bringing the cost to around $2,100.
📣 Bottom line: Our visit through the future clean tech that'll power our lives was a pretty amazing experience. Keep your eyes peeled for these cutting-edge technologies as they roll out in 2025 — and don't forget to share your experience on TCD's community platform.
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