Do you have any ideas about what the car of the future might look like? CES 2023 provided some hints.
Autonomous driving enhancements, color-changing exteriors, and flying cars are just a few of the futuristic vehicle technologies unveiled at this year’s CES trade show, which concludes this Sunday.
This week, major automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis (the parent company of Ram, Jeep, Chrysler, and other brands) gathered in Las Vegas to showcase their latest technology and tease what’s to come.
The tech show isn’t over yet, but here are some of the most exciting developments revealed by the auto industry at CES 2023.
Cars that change colours
BMW followed up last year’s reveal of a concept car with E Ink that can change colours with the push of a button with more color-changing technology at CES 2023.
Whereas last year’s car could only switch between black and white, BMW claims that this year’s concept car, the I Vision Dee, is the first full-color version with E Ink technology and can display up to 32 colours.
Volkswagen also displayed the ID.7, an electric sedan with “smart camouflage” that creates light effects through 40 layers of paint. When connected to a sound system, the concept vehicle’s 22 individual areas can light up to visualise the rhythm.
Improved self-driving capabilities
Mercedes-Benz announced on Thursday that it would soon begin offering an advanced autonomous driving system in select states.
According to Mercedes-Benz, the Nevada DMV approved the automaker’s application to deploy Level 3 autonomous driving and is expected to issue a certificate of compliance within the next two weeks.
Level 2 autonomy, which allows the car to control acceleration and steering, is already available in a variety of vehicles (consider Tesla’s autopilot or GM’s Super Cruise).
Under certain conditions, Level 3 allows customers to take their eyes completely off the road, allowing them to “focus on certain secondary activities such as communicating with colleagues via In-Car Office, browsing the web, or relaxing while watching a movie,” according to a press release from Mercedes-Benz.
Starting with the model year 2024, the feature will be available in the S-Class and EQS and will be usable in high-density traffic and other “suitable motorway sections” where the vehicle is travelling less than 40 miles per hour.
Mercedes-Benz expects approval from the state of California “soon,” but provided no specific timeline.
VR and video games in your car
Nvidia, a gaming and AI company, announced on Tuesday that its cloud gaming service, GeForce NOW, will soon be available in vehicles from Hyundai Motor Group, BYD, and Polestar. The vehicles will be able to stream real-time PC games to backseat passengers and, if parked, front-seat passengers.
The service includes over 1,000 titles, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and free-to-play games such as Fortnite.
Meanwhile, Holoride, a startup, has announced the release of a smart speaker-sized device that can be used to equip any vehicle with its virtual reality system. The $799 bundle includes a Holoride retrofit device that can suction cup to a windscreen, a headset, a safety strap, and a one-year Holoride platform subscription.
A car that can fly
Aska, a California-based startup, unveiled the first fully-functional prototype of its A5, a four-seat electric vehicle that can travel up to 250 miles by air and up to 500 miles by road. The vehicle is now available for pre-order and will go on sale in 2026.
If you don’t have $789,000 to spend on an A5, Aska intends to launch a ride-sharing service with its vehicles in 2026.
There are a lot of EVs.
At CES, electric vehicles were a common theme among automakers.
Stellantis, Ram’s owner, unveiled the concept for its Ram 1500 Revolution battery electric vehicle at CES on Thursday. The truck is expected to travel up to 500 miles on a single charge and includes “shadow mode,” in which the truck follows its driver when he or she walks ahead of it. The vehicle will be unveiled next year.
Volkswagen’s ID.7 is one of ten new electric vehicles that the company plans to release by 2026.
Sony Honda Mobility Inc., a joint venture, unveiled a prototype of its new electric vehicle brand, Afeela. It has 45 cameras and sensors, as well as a media bar in the front that uses light to communicate with other drivers and pedestrians. Preorders for the sedan are expected to begin in the first half of 2025, with first shipments in North America in the spring of 2026.
Volvo’s new EX90, a seven-seater all-electric SUV, was unveiled for the first time in North America at CES on Tuesday. The vehicle is now available for pre-order in the United States. The first deliveries will take place in early 2024.
Mercedes-Benz also announced plans to launch a high-power charging network in North America this year at CES. By the end of the decade, the company hopes to have installed over 10,000 high-power chargers around the world.
Customers of Mercedes-Benz will be able to reserve charging stations, but the network will be available to all car brands with compatible technology.
