Images: Car concepts gear up for Detroit show

The new year kicks off with a flurry of big tech-oriented events, from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to Macworld Expo in San Francisco. For those who like their hardware on wheels, there's also the North American International Auto Show, or NAIAS, taking place in Detroit from Jan. 8 to Jan. 22.

Among the exhibitors will be Mitsubishi, which plans to present the world premiere of its Concept-CT MIEV. In this hybrid powertrain design, a gasoline engine works in conjunction with four in-wheel electric motors. Having the drive system inside the wheel itself, the company says, eliminates some mechanical components and frees up space for a hybrid's battery system--or the fuel cell stacks and hydrogen tanks in fuel cell vehicles.