he Most Powerful Tech Event in the World, CES was held in Vegas on Jan 7th - 10th themed around “Innovating the Future” with 140k+ attendees, 4500+ exhibitors and 6K+ media attending.
Waymo showcased its latest self-driving minivans equipped with advanced LIDAR and AI-driven systems; BMW unveiled the BMW Panoramic iDrive; Zeekr, Great Wall Motors, Honda, etc. brought their new models… There are so many things to write about, but I’d like to share my three observations:
AI everywhere, but full potential yet to be exploited
AI is definitely the no.1 key word at 2025 CES, not just for the automotive industry, but across all industries. However, I still have a few questions after seeing some examples across booths: what does AI really mean to automotive industry? Have we exploited the full potential of AI? I had a conversation with staff at Sonatus, who’s showcasing a few applications on AI, mostly on collecting data more intelligently, and I asked when can AI help make decisions? He smiled, “you read my mind, it’s on my product roadmap”. I am hopeful that AI will disrupt industries, including automotive, and the potential is yet to be explored. Looking forward to seeing more progresses every year.
SDV still a key topic but mainly showcases
Another key word in automotive industry is SDV, software-defined vehicle, which was the big theme for CES 2024. Now after one year, how much change does this bring to the industry? I’m not so sure. I have seen a lot of changes in the in-cabin experiences, such as the infotainment systems on Zeekr, Great Wall Motors and BMW vehicles. However, a true software-defined vehicle will bring in revolutions across the way of thinking, design of both software and hardware, organizational structure to support the change, as well as people’s mindset and company culture, which won’t be happening within just one year of time, and which will disrupt the industry in the future.
The rise of micro e-mobility and mobility in general
Along with the EV trend in the last few years, I have seen more applications of e-mobility from cars to other methods of transportation. E-bikes, e-scooters are not new to the mass market, as Segway-Ninebot, Bird, Lime, Xiaomi, etc. all brought their newest versions to the show. Besides, e-mobility has expanded to surfing boards, as showcased by Lift Foils, Radinn, Fliteboard and among others. What’s worth mentioning is the “land aircraft carrier” introduced by Xpeng Aeroht. I have seen “flying cars” or helicopters in the CES last few years, but mostly at the concept level, and this one is planned to start pre-sale by the end of 2025 and to be delivered by end of 2026. As someone passionate about future mobility, I’m always excited to see new applications in automotive and its expansion to other forms of mobility, and nothing can be more excited to see innovations at CES every year.
What’s your key takeaway out of 2025 CES? What surprised you most? What would you like to see but was not there? And what’s your projection of automotive industry in 2025 and beyond? Reach out!