CES 2016, the biggest Consumer Electronics Tech show, held in Las Vegas last week, has shown the latest trends in the global technology market.
From virtual reality to drones, from robots to smart bras, from rollable displays to smart watches, CES has showcased numerous tech products ready for the consumer market.
Compared to past editions, it was a quiet year for CES, as the show wasn’t filled with any blockbuster product announcements, or marked by any explosive new trends.
It appears that consumer technology has arrived at a transition point where smartphones and tablets and laptops are getting mature, while new things like Connected Home, VR, and self-driving cars are still transitioning towards market acceptance.
That’s why I think that the “winners” at CES this year were car manufactures. You may wonder, what have car manufacturers to do with consumer electronics, when there are so many motor shows scheduled all around the planet?
Ford was the first company to spot CES, as an opportunity to showcase products and concepts and to gather input and feedback from younger consumers, when they first came to CES back in 2007. This year more than a dozen car manufacturers were present and they showcased some great concepts around Connected Car.
As a confirmation of this, the Chevy Bolt by General Motors (GM), was votedbest product at the show and several automakers confirmed or announced their plans for connected cars.
Ford, for instance, has made public its partnership with Amazon’s Echo voice-recognition to keep vehicles connected to smart homes through interconnected systems, while the rumours of a potential partnership between the American car manufacturer and Google have, so far, not been officially confirmed.
In addition, Ford announced that it is planning to triple its fleet of autonomous testing vehicles by mid 2016.
General Motors unveiled the highly-anticipated Chevy Bolt, a compact electric car that offers more than 200 miles of range per charge with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $37,500 -- but the price could be as low as $30,000 if a buyer receives the full federal tax credit for the electric vehicle. The Bolt will be available late 2016.
Fiat Chrysler announced that they will bring Apple CarPlay and Android auto to its next-generation UConnect infotainment systems this year. It joinsFord, which made a similar announcement at CES, and a host of other car companies that have started to support the car integration platforms for iOS and Android over the last year or so.
Toyota announced a $1 billion investment fund to start a new company called Toyota Research Institute (TRI) focused on accelerating the development of artificial intelligence and robotics. Toyota recruited Gill Pratt, an expert in robotics and artificial intelligence from DARPA, as CEO, and some of the biggest brains in this field to form the leadership team for this organization. Offices in Palo Alto and Cambridge, MA are set to open in March 2016. Toyota believes that in order to achieve a reliable autonomous car, 1 trillion miles of testing is required, so we are still not close to this level yet and this objective may not be achievable by 2020!
BMW showed off a concept car that lets its occupants use hand gestures to control its entertainment system and heating, and even send commands to their smart home kit from afar. It also showcased the likely ergonomics of a fully self-driving car, where the steering wheel retracts, when entering in the self-driving mode, so passengers can enjoy a better living space, powered by the entertainment systemVolkswagen launched a new voice and gesture system for the VW Golf, a "car dashboard of the future", and the BUDD-e, an all-electric minivan, which has a range of around 300 miles and is a nostalgic throwback to the VW vans of the 1960s.
The van can be recharged by 80% in 30 minutes; solar panels on the roof help to keep the battery topped up on sunny days. VW is unlikely to put the BUDD-e on sale anytime soon but the large size and extra space for batteries make the minivan a sound option as an electric vehicleAudi showcased a new computer screen dashboard with a second touch display for the climate controls, which is expected to enter production in 2017. Audi also demonstrated how Virtual Reality headsets can be used to show a car in different colours and specifications to customers without it being parked in the dealership.
Volvo illustrated the results of a consumer research, which explains that consumers still want their autonomous vehicles to come with steering wheels, as they do not appear ready to relinquish full control of their cars in all circumstances. This confirms that there will be “cultural” and not only technical barriers on the road towards fully self-driving vehicles. Volvo also showcased a few examples of controlling secondary functionalities of the car, such as starting the heating or syncing music and media from a Fitbit wearable device.
Mercedes, who among others announced to have obtained licences to test self-driving vehicles in Nevada, the first state to regulate self-driving cars back in 2011, demos the new controls systems and displays, which will be made available on the next generation E-class. On this topic Mercedes has developed its own ecosystem and decided against partnering with Apple or Google.
Nissan announced its partnership with Microsoft, which will bring cloud connectivity to the electric Leaf models and Infiniti models in Europe. The new telematics system will be powered by Microsoft’s Azure and will allow a remote connection to the vehicle, allowing the driver to perform a range of functions on their car from the convenience of their smartphones. Drivers can turn on and adjust the climate control of the vehicle and set charging functions remotely, even when the car is powered down among other functions.
Subaru announced a programme with Liberty Mutual Insurance, which will be available in 2016 on vehicles equipped with Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system. The program gives motorists real-time analysis of their driving style, which can help reduce insurance premiums and keep them out of danger. This partnership combines Liberty Mutual’s extensive experience and reach in usage-based insurance with Subaru and Clarion’s cutting-edge connected car technology to bring savings to consumers in new ways.
The Linux Foundation announced that Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru have joined Automotive Grade Linux, an open-source project to develop common Linux-based software cores for connected cars. They join existing members Toyota, Nissan, and Jaguar Land Rover.
OEM equipment manufactures, such as Bosch and Delphi, also demoed self-driving cars solutions and components.
Among the “challengers” of the OEMs, Google is predicting that self-driving vehicles will become a reality by 2020 (a timeline that Toyota considers “challenging”), Tesla is working on fully automated level 4 self-driving cars within two years while Apple rumoured to be also working on its first self-driving car.
Interestingly, tech companies seem to be setting the way and the timeline in the connected car space with OEM manufacturers playing catch up and having to do so very fast.
"The auto industry will change more in the next 5-10 years than it has in the past 50," said GM CEO Mary Barra during her CES keynote.
Interestingly, two-thirds of car buyers under 35 are willing to buy a car from a tech company, especially in markets like India (81%) and China (74%), according to latest research from Capgemini and Statista (see graphic below)
Whether tech companies will lead the way or not, it is important to ponder if and when the autonomous car market is ready to take off.
A crucial aspect of this is whether consumers are ready to adopt this new technology as well as to adapt to change in the next couple of years.
We will cover some of these topics in greater detail in our upcoming webinar on CES and its learnings for insurance companies.
Stay tuned!
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