Flying cars, mobility forum target imagination

Flying cars, Malcolm Gladwell and Shaggy are coming to this year's Detroit auto show.

The show is bringing back its Air Mobility Experience for a second year, featuring displays from two companies developing electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles. The CEOs of both companies — Rani Plaut of AIR in Israel and Jim Dukhovny of Alef Aeronautics in San Mateo, Calif. — will speak as part of the Mobility Global Forum on Wednesday.

"Building upon the laser focus on electrification in vehicles and aircraft, it's a natural progression for shows like ours to take a look at the expanding mobility ecosystem," Detroit Auto Show Chairman Thad Szott said in a statement. "Our 'Air Mobility Experience' will again this year capture the imagination of visitors by showcasing the sky's the limit in future mobility."

The main speaker of the two-day mobility forum will be journalist and futurist Malcolm Gladwell, the author of six New York Times bestselling books. Panelists during the event include racing team owner Chip Ganassi, Pininfarina CEO Silvio Pietro Angori, Ford Motor Co. Chief Data Scientist Bryan Goodman and General Motors Chief Customer Experience Officer Donald Chesnut.

The auto show's black-tie Charity Preview, a fundraiser for six southwest Michigan children's charities, is Friday.

Headlining the Charity Preview will be Jennifer Hudson — the singer and actress who portrayed Motown great Aretha Franklin in the 2021 movie Respect — and reggae artist Shaggy.