CES 2024
Each year, tech junkies flock to Las Vegas and the Consumer Electronic Show (CES). The world’s largest consumer tech show had more than 4,300 exhibitors, over 1,200 startups, and was visited by about 135,000 attendees over four days. AI dominated the show with products ranging from binoculars that identify the birds you are viewing to glasses that project accurate closed captions of conversations that are only visible to the wearer, and what interested us most, EVs and automated vehicles.
At CES, major car manufacturers like Ford and GM were absent, however Honda, Volkswagen, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes, and Mitsubishi were among the most well-known names to debut concept cars and new technologies. There were also some surprise entries into the market like LG with their concept car LG Alpha-able. Their concept car was on display to show what their idea of future mobility will look like. With the automotive industry rapidly shifting towards electrification and automated driving, it will be interesting to see who else enters the fray.
Last week, partner and founder, Mike Nelson attended CES and here is some of the technology that caught his attention.
Goodyear
Tires that talk to your car? That’s right, Goodyear Sightline are intelligent tires that takes data out of the tires and brings it into the vehicles driving system. As mobility advances from a hardware system to a software defined system, Goodyear is also advancing this line to software defined based tires. The sensors on Sightline tires can detect not only tire pressure and temperature, but also wear and load, as well as friction that occurs at the base of the tire. As this data is fed to the vehicles operating system it improves safety and performance. Sightline works with the vehicle’s ABS system and has the ability to stop the car when there is an obstruction, such as a car or animal, six feet earlier than cars using regular tires. Another safety example of what the tire can do is capture data if the tire is worn, under deflated or overloaded on say a wet road and then feed that information to the cars software system to make it stop or perform more optimally. Sensors can detect if the car is hydroplaning or skidding and will offer recommendations for optimal speed adjustment and can even instruct the chassis actuators to apply corrective measures. Goodyear is also in partnership with Gatick, an automated trucking company, to use Sightline on its fleet. What’s important to note, is these automated trucks will now be able to drive in less desirable weather conditions like rain, snow, and ice as the tire communicates with vehicles software. Not only does this make these trucks safer, but it allows them to expand their operation. With Sightline, the tires are no longer a piece of hardware but arefully integrated into the software defined vehicle.
VinFast
Vinfast, a new entry into the U.S. market, is a Vietnamese electric car manufacturer. Their car line includes a range of five different SUVs. The VF6, VF7, VF8, VF 9 and are currently only available for purchase in California. At CES, Vinfast unveiled the VF Wild, their concept mid-side truck with a fold down second row that extends the bed from 5 feet to 8 feet. The VF Wild is 209 Inches long, 8 inches shorter than competitor Rivian R1T. What’s even more exciting is the VF3 that was unveiled at CES. With pricing just under $20,000, it’s an affordable choice for the masses who want an electric vehicle. The VF3 will be available early next year. Currently, VinFast cars are built in Vietnam, but a production facility is under construction in North Carolina that will be completed in 2025 or 2026. When asked at CES how many are on the road in California, they answered about 300. We’ll be watching to see how successful VinFast is in penetrating the U.S.
Volkswagen/ChatGPT
Volkswagen is partnering with ChatGPT for use in their electric VW vehicles starting Q2 2024. Chatbot will be added to its already existing IDA voice assistant. Requests like placing a call or navigate home will still be handled by Volkswagen’s local software but starting Q2 this year IDA will be able to help answer more complicated questions with the help of ChatGPT. For example, you can ask IDA where I can get a good corned beef sandwich, and the voice assistant will find restaurants nearby that have it on the menu. For those worried about data privacy, ChatGPT does not gain access to any vehicle data and any questions and answers are deleted immediately. Mercedes is also exploring the use of ChatGPT in its vehicles and has begun integrating it into select models as a beta program. Who will be next to add this chatbot to their vehicle assistant?
Honda
Honda unveiled the futuristic Honda Saloon, which will be the first in its new line up of electric vehicles due to hit the showrooms in 2026. This luxury sedan isn't what you think of when you hear the word sedan, but rather a Lamborghini. Perhaps that’s because Honda used its years of motorsport and Formula 1 racing experience to design advanced aerodynamic features, which take the Saloon to a new level of performance for EV vehicles. What’s notable about the Saloon is its low vertical height, lightweight construction and its fast charging, high-density battery that can charge from 15% to 80% in ten to fifteen minutes. A game changer for those driving long range. Honda self describes their approach to this series as “thin, light and wise”. The Saloon will feature sustainable materials both inside and outside and degradation of battery capacity to less than 10% after ten years. Their next generation AD system is being developed based on their “human-centric” safety concept and features advanced AI, recognition, sensing, and driver monitoring technology that will allow for level 3 driving. Another cool feature? A steering yoke that moves in and out of the dashboard. The future is here!
Mercedes-Benz
Virtual Assistant
“Hyper Personalization” was the theme at Mercedes-Benz with their new virtual based assistant powered by generative AI that offers human like interactions and benefits from the results of their ChatGBT beta program. The MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) assistant will run on their next generation MB.OS operating system. Their goal is to make sure the virtual assistant is always in tune with the driver giving it four traits-natural, predictive, empathetic, and personal. Natural refers to the dialog being more human-like encouraging more engagement to improve. Predictive, provides helpful suggestions and routines. Empathetic, as the assistant’s voice is more emotional and can express different speaking styles to create a sense of empathy. Personal, you can adopt the virtual assistant in the central hub and change the settings to your preferences. ‘Hey Mercedes’ virtual assistant will only be available on the MAA platform and will then roll out their other models.
Drive Pilot
At CES, Mercedes-Benz Chief Software Officer, Magnus Ostberg, spoke about Drive Pilot, the world’s first officially certified Level 3 driving system. Mercedes-Benz is also the first automaker to receive U.S. state approval for deployment of a SAE Level 3 conditionally automated driving vehicle. So, what exactly does that mean? Drive Pilot can operate on pre-defined freeways at speeds up to 40 mph, during the daytime, in dry, clear weather, and in areas that do not have construction zones. Level 3 automation allows the vehicles operator a hands off, eyes off, driving experience but they must be ready to take over when the car requests it. On their website, Mercedes-Benz states that they have a limited fleet of SAE Level 3 EQS sedans on the road in California and Nevada, with plans for more customers in early 2024. When asked at CES when more Drive Pilot cars would be on U.S. roads, Mercedes-Benz answered with a shaky March 2024. We’ll see if we hear news this spring that more are on the road. Like Tesla, Drive Pilot is also subscription based. Subscriptions for Drive Pilot start at $2,500. Drive Pilot has been available in Germany since 2022.
Concept CLA Class
The Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class made its North American debut at CES. The CLA Class will be one of four models in the new portfolio of EV vehicles which will also include a shooting brake and two SUVs and will use MB.OS, Mercedes’ new operating system. Most notable is a projected driving range of 466 miles, and rapid charging of up to 248 miles in 15 minutes. Its design combines classic and futuristic elements. Some features include a glass ceiling, ambient LED lighting in the interior, MBUX super screen on the dash, and sustainable materials both inside and outside. This car isn’t quite ready for production, but Mercedes says it’s close to something we will see in dealerships within a few years. Hopefully, they tone done some of the purple interior lighting and other glitter when it goes into production.
While this list could go on, we’ll stop here. One thing is for sure, the vehicles on display at CES stoked the imagination and we are excited to see where this road will lead us.
Copyright Nelson Law LLC
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Firm, its clients, or any of its or their respective affiliates. This blog post is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.