Another CES came and went and transportation remained one of the central players in one of the world's largest technology stages. It wasn't just electric cars that caught our attention at CES 2024.
Companies and startups focused on automated driving, electric vehicle charging, software (and more specifically artificial intelligence), sensors, aviation, ships, drones, micromobility, you name it, were present. And luckily, so was TechCrunch.
These are some of the technological topics that caught our attention at CES 2024.
All electric
Image credits: Kirsten Korosec
The big three U.S. automakers (GM, Ford, and Stellantis) may not have had flashy displays or product reveals, but plenty of others were there helping cement CES as a major auto show. Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Sony, Togg and Turkey's Vinfast showed off electric concepts and production cars at the event.
It wasn't just the big, established automakers that were on hand at CES 2024. Electrification has seeped into every corner of transportation, from motorcycles and electric bikes to go-karts, big trucks, boats and airplanes.
For example, Segway revealed two electric scooters, the E2 Pro and the ST1 Superscooter, two electric bicycles called Segway Xafari and Segway Xyber, as well as a Segway. Kart Pro 2 which can be connected to a PC and used to play racing games like Forza.
Startups were also out in force and could be found at a variety of CES-related events, such as Pepcom and Unveiled. Land Energy, a startup based in Cleveland, Ohio, returned with its electric sports bike that has a swappable battery, while the Finnish Verge Motorcycles showed off its Verge TS Ultra, an electric motorcycle with a hubless ring design, advanced rider-assist technology, and a powertrain that produces 201 horsepower and 885 pound-feet of torque. In Eureka Park, where hundreds of new companies were installed, electrification was also present. A startup that caught my attention was solar strollercompany that has developed an electric urban mobility vehicle that looks like a closed golf cart.
Image credits: Kirsten Korosec
And, of course, there were electric planes and drones. On the startup front, Pivotal opened online orders for its Helix personal electric plane, while on-demand autonomous drone companies Zipline and Wing scored a great deal with Walmart. Hyundai's advanced air mobility unit Supernal revealed its electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft with production intent and Xpeng Aeroht, the subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng Motors, showed off a new concept and announced that deliveries of its land-based aircraft carriers would begin at the end of 2025. .
With so many electric vehicles, it may not surprise people to know that electric vehicle charging companies are also there in droves. Outside of the more well-known charging infrastructure companies, we find startups focused on electric vehicle charging software, as well as those showcasing novel approaches like WiTricity's wireless charging technology.
Generative ai
Image credits: volkswagen
Before even setting foot at the show, TechCrunch staff predicted that ai would dominate CES 2024. We weren't wrong. ai was everywhere, even in transportation, from electric cars and bicycles to electric scooters and aviation.
There were many companies promoting ai. While there has certainly been a lot of steam software, many companies have demonstrated how software is increasingly incorporating ai to deliver (hopefully) more capable products, including vehicle sensors, voice assistants in cars, and autonomous driving systems.
There was also a lot of talk about generative ai and, more specifically, ChatGPT, the ai-powered chatbot that works by using large deep learning models that have been trained on vast data sets. I reviewed two ChatGPT demos: one with BMW and another in collaboration with software company Cerence and Volkswagen.
Volkswagen announced plans to add an ai-powered chatbot to all Volkswagen models equipped with its IDA voice assistant.
Meanwhile, BMW and partner Amazon showed off a development project that uses generative ai, powered by Alexa LLM, to give the automaker's voice assistant greater capability and deliver information in a more human and conversational way.
Hydrogen
Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Co., center, and Chang Hwan Kim, senior vice president and head of battery development and hydrogen and fuel cell development at Hyundai Motor Co. at CES 2024. Image credits: Getty Images via Bloomberg
Hydrogen power is not new, however, it has lately taken a backseat to more traditional battery electric vehicles. Don't tell anyone at CES 2024, though, as this year's showroom was packed with hydrogen-powered vehicles of all sizes.
Hyundai, which has a growing portfolio of battery-powered electric vehicles, came to CES to talk about hydrogen fuel cells and its vision for the alternative fuel. Nikola finally showed off one of its first U.S.-built hydrogen trucks that it's starting to ship to customers, and Bosch, which already makes hydrogen fuel cells (like the one Nikola uses in its truck), announced it will make a engine that can burn hydrogen. . Truck manufacturer PACCAR also showed off a hydrogen-powered truck.
We also ran into other hydrogen-focused startups walking the halls to meet with media, potential investors, and industry folks. Croft Motors was one we came across. The startup is developing “rugged” hydrogen-powered vehicles, starting with a three-row SUV prototype with a “targeted” driving range of 1,000 miles.
Cabin hardware meets software
Harman shows its ReadyCare product at CES 2024. Image credit: Kirsten Korosec
Car manufacturers, car suppliers and even some startups showed their respective visions of the car interior. Yes, there were many touch screens, including the popular curved design.
In-car technology extended far beyond that, reaching into areas of safety, health assessments and entertainment. Eye tracking technology was everywhere. For example, Harman showed off its Ready Care system, which can measure a driver's eye activity, cognitive load and vital signs to determine the level of concentration and attention on the road.
Several companies also showed how hardware like cameras and other sensors that were once used for security are now being leveraged for other, more convenience-focused services. Bosch showed how eye-tracking technology could be used during the trip to determine which points of interest you're looking at, and the car could offer contextual information.
Mercedes, meanwhile, unveiled a full package of features that, when combined, create a complete experience for the driver and passengers, including an improved voice assistant, in-car gaming, immersive audio and an app developed by the new company. will.i.am, Sound Drive, which combines accelerator, brakes and steering with a kind of smart multi-channel mixer that influences the songs played in the car.
My conclusion: Companies understand that drivers and passengers are a captured audience, so to speak. And everyone is working on ways to bring all the technology we have on our phones and homes to the car.
