CES 2024 Concludes With A Plethora Of Announcements For The Automotive Industry!

CES 2024, the annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (originally Consumer Electronics Show) has concluded.

Running from January 9 – 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada, CES brought to the forefront a range of new technologies, products and services expected to be released in the coming year.

A large portion of the displays at this year’s event were centered around the automotive industry, spanning new software, hardware and methods to power these exciting machines, as well as a range of completely different vehicles (eVTOLs) - don’t worry, we’ll get to these later!

Furthermore, given the digital age we live in, the automotive industry announcements weren’t exclusive to carmakers and automobile companies. Several announcements and enhancements were offered by businesses in the software spectrum, often collaborating with carmakers to provide an enhanced driving experience.

So, what kind of announcements did CES 2024 bring for the automotive industry? Let’s explore!
 

What Were The Hardware Announcements?

 

• Electric vehicles (EV) have been a big hit in the last few years and as a result, a large number of the products on display were electrified. The EV products extended to include motorcycles, e-bikes, go karts, boats, trucks and even aircraft (eVTOLs).

• Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft or eVTOL aircraft have been in development for a while, with a nervous but promising few months, culminating in companies making big announcements.

• One such announcement at CES 2024 saw California-based Pivotal open online sales for its Helix aircraft, a lightweight eVTOL that doesn’t require a pilot’s license to fly. The company also received a considerable number of pre-orders at the event. At present, the aircraft will only be sold in the US only (beginning June 10, 2024) and will require buyers to provide time for training and cost at least $190,000 (before taxes).

 

• Hyundai also showcased its eVTOL offering through its subsidiary, Supernal. The Supernal S-A2 has plans to be a part of a fleet of aerial taxis and has a partnership with Uber Elevate, with the company aiming to apply to the FAA in 2025 and launch in 2028.

• Zipline and Wing partnered with Walmart for their autonomous drones, as Walmart looks to make the largest drone delivery expansion of any US retailer, bringing the service to up to 1.8 million additional households. 

• Coming back to the ground, Segway launched a pair of electric scooters (E2 Pro and Superscooter ST1), two e-bikes (Xafari and Xyber) and the Segway GoKart Pro 2, which can be connected to a PC and used to play video games.

 

• Ahead of this, Land Energy, a startup from Ohio, brought an e-bike with a swappable battery, Verge Motorcycles brought an electric motorcycle with advanced driver-assist technology and Squad Mobility brought a solar-powered city car the size of a golf cart, which comes with swappable batteries, self-charging, removable doors and more features.

 

• Another major focus when it came to powering vehicles was hydrogen fuel cells. Leading the charge was Nikola, a company that has since long been a fan of hydrogen fuel cells but finally displayed its first US-made hydrogen-powered truck at CES 2024, which will be available to customers soon.

• Following suit was Croft Motors, which displayed a prototype hydrogen-powered SUV. Even Bosch, a company that already produces hydrogen fuel cells, announced it would delve into an engine that can combust hydrogen.

 

What Were The Software Related Announcements?

 

• Previously, we reported that chip giants NVIDIA and Panasonic Automotive Systems were bringing the AI revolution to cars with their product launches.

• Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen sought to enhance the internal functions of their vehicles with generative AI.

• BMW made similar moves by partnering with Amazon and displaying a project powered by the Alexa LLM, enabling the voice assistant to deliver information more humanly and conversationally.

• Another big hit was those focusing on vision. From eye-tracking technology to touchscreen enhancements, companies looked to revolutionize entertainment, health and safety, including the use of sensors and cameras all around vehicles to assist drivers. 

• Harman brought its Ready Care system to measure driver eye activity, vital signs and other factors to determine focus and attention levels. Bosch came in to offer contextual information based on what drivers were looking at.

 

• Even Google’s Android Auto will aid EV drivers by providing clearer information on a car’s charge status, suggested stops to charge up and the estimated charge that will remain upon reaching. 

• Another term that was popular at the event was “software-defined vehicles, which enable vehicle owners to upgrade their vehicles by using software updates over time instead of changing physical parts. The belief is that the next event will see announcements and product displays focusing on such technology.

Which announcements at CES 2024 caught your eye? Which one of these products or services do you think will gain popularity in the coming year?

Let us know in the comments below!