News and Insights
Viva Las CES (2024): Vehicle Tech Takes Over
January 18, 2024
Despite its origins in consumer electronics, CES retained its reign as the world’s leading auto show, with vehicle technology (VT) dominating more than half the floor space in 2024.
And as my work focuses on the intersection of transportation and tech, I covered more than 30 miles (on foot) in 72 hours to investigate the most prevalent themes, including vehicle safety, smart tech and more capabilities:
Safety first!
Autonomous driving’s “oohs” and “ahhs” have morphed into the “hows” and “whens” of ensuring passenger and pedestrian safety, with several highlights:.
- The chief mobility officer for Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification discussed what’s next for V2X (vehicle to everything) with Magna International, pointing to the progress of its connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) infrastructure project as the “world’s most sophisticated roadway.”
- Magna’s new in-vehicle sensors combine a number of screening factors to detect impaired driving behaviors and assess if the person behind the wheel is “fit to drive,” before the vehicle shifts out of Park. (Legalities of health and data privacy remain TBD.)
- Luminar’s lidar-enabled Automatic Emergency Steering system can help avoid collisions, even in situations when avoidance via braking is impossible.
“Talk data to me,” said the Automated Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)-enabled EV to its map
Whether it’s for directions, localized first responder alerts or infotainment systems, our vehicles, transportation infrastructure and traffic signage all rely on data to operate.
- Uber’s newly appointed global location data provider, HERE Technologies, introduced more accurate EV Range Factors, which consider elements—from road topography and weather intensity to wind direction—to increase drivers’ confidence in their EV’s optimal charging on-route calculations, distance to empty, and for finding available, safe EV chargers.
- Recent Tesla recalls show that ADAS’s camera vision functions need to be supplemented with mapping data to maintain the momentum and adaptability of the (slowly, steadily, increasingly) automated driving space. Reinforcing this were both BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which are moving forward with their Level 3 initiatives using HERE’s map and navigation capabilities.
- While the ethics and privacy conversations around using V2X-enabled vehicles’ data will continue to evolve, CES 2024 confirmed that data is indeed the world’s most valuable commodity.
Help (still) Needed: Practical charging remains EV’s low-tech roadblock.
- A panel featuring Automotive News’ Pete Bigelow, MotorTrend’s Jonny Lieberman, and Forbes contributor, Sam Abuelsamid, addressed EV drivers’ shift from “range anxiety” to “charger anxiety” or confidence, pointing to concerns about their reliability, safety and practicality.
- With so many chargers in un-lit areas, without access to bathrooms, food or supervision (for safety and/or troubleshooting), they pointed to Pilot Company’s expanding network, in collaboration with General Motors and EVgo, as a viable alternative with the same critical facilities and offerings in a travel center.
- Lieberman said we need more “dumb chargers that just work,” we also need them next to bathrooms and food and drink options, the same experience as gas-powered vehicle drivers. (When that’s the case, sign me up for an EV, assuming the sticker price is reasonable or a healthy used EV market has emerged.)
A bird? A plane? A flying concept vehicle?”
Inspiration still buzzed the crowd from OEMs including:
- Honda 0 (zero) EV series with Saloon and Space-hub models set for U.S. launch in 2026.
- Move over Tundra and Tacoma, Vinfast introduced the VF Wild concept electric pickup truck, tailored for the U.S. market.
- While Hyudnai and Supernal unveiled the SA-2, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) concept vehicle, to commercialize safe, efficient and affordable everyday passenger air travel (ETA 2028).
As a proud (former) Detroiter, I found the relative silence from Ford, GM and Stellantis (aka holding company of 14 brands, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Fiat) deafening, as all three skipped a formal CES presence. Whether they make their own media moments in 2024 remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, we have 50 weeks to build up stamina for CES 2025 (Jan. 8-12) followed immediately by Detroit’s NAIAS (Jan. 10 – 20), and I’m already hoping the VT space will maintain its real estate in both.
TAGS: Technology
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