The 12 most high-tech concept cars unveiled in 2017 so far

For some automakers, the crazier the concept car, the better.

Concept cars might seem like a strange part of the auto industry. The cars are often nowhere near practical and simply bizarre.

But automakers use concept cars to show how they think the auto industry will change with advents in battery tech, self-driving software, and artificial intelligence. They may not be road-ready anytime soon, but they act as a litmus test to explore changes to come.

Scroll down to see the most futuristic concept cars already unveiled in 2017: