CES 2018 auto industry preview: AI, self-driving cars will be on display
The auto industry will have a major presence at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, this week, with burgeoning technologies like artificial intelligence, self-driving and electric vehicles on display throughout the annual showcase event.
Ford (NYSE:F), Fiat Chrysler (NYSE:FCAU), Toyota (NYSE:TM) and Honda (NYSE:HMC) are just a few of the companies set to appear at CES this year. Ford CEO Jim Hackett will help kick off the program on Tuesday morning, when he delivers a keynote address about the future of smart vehicles in an increasingly connected world.
“You’ll see a huge, huge auto section focusing not only on electric, but the whole shift toward safer self-driving vehicles. Every major car company is there, one way or the other. It’s one of the biggest auto shows now in the world,” Consumer Technology Association CEO Gary Shapiro told FOX Business on Monday.
This year’s CES lineup isn’t limited to the major auto companies. Byton, a Chinese startup, is set to unveil its first electric vehicle at the trade show. While most details of the planned reveal are still unknown, it is expected to be a small crossover vehicle.
Faraday Future, another startup focused on electric vehicles, is returning to CES this year after a disastrous showing at last year’s CES. Meanwhile, South Korean automaker Kia Motors is set to showcase a new electric car of its own that touts a “never-seen-before human-machine interface,” according to the Verge.
Self-driving technology will be prominently featured at CES. Ride-sharing service Lyft is teaming with Aptiv to offer taxi rides in autonomous vehicles to attendees. Ford is partnering with Domino’s (NYSE:DPZ) to show off an autonomous pizza delivery vehicle this week.
“Smart car” technology is another hot topic ahead of this year’s event. Japanese automaker Toyota is teaming with companies like Pizza Hut, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Uber to reveal a concept vehicle called the e-Palette, a self-driving pod designed to perform tasks like package and pizza delivery.
Mercedes-Benz will debut a new “infotainment” system, the “Mercedes-Benz User Experience,” that will make a “smart” dashboard interface available in its compact car models. Toyota is expected to display a similar AI-enabled concept that will be included in the 2018 Camry model.
CES begins on Tuesday, Jan. 9, and runs through Friday, Jan. 12. More than 170,000 people are expected to attend the event.