CES 2024 - Automotive

New Vehicles

Instead of flashy new concepts, many of the significant automotive unveilings at CES were sensors and operating systems from tech companies like Mobileye (Israel) and Luminar (US). While not exactly eye-catching, these products will provide the tech allowing for advances in, for example, autonomous driving. But there were also enough interesting vehicles on show to distract attendees from the lure of microchips.

A Flying Future

CES isn’t complete without its fair share of freshly launched flying cars – and 2024 was no different. Hyundai’s (South Korea) president Jaiwon Shin, who spent most of his career at Nasa, said future projections in the aviation industry show a huge expansion in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts as alternatives to taxis.

Technical Innovations

Beyond some bold concept cars, the devil is often in the detail in the automotive halls at CES, with smaller innovations, like lighting modules and steering wheels, offering glimpses into future driving experiences. From interior design to robots that function in a car’s orbit, these advances could become common features in a few years’ time.

Software-Defined Value

One of the automotive buzz phrases this year was “software-defined vehicles” – any car, truck or SUV (sports utility vehicle) with capabilities that can be upgraded over time via software, instead of having to change physical parts. That means manufacturers can introduce new functions into a car.