Mobility Trends at CES 2020

Mobility Trends at CES 2020

CES 2020 hosted 170,000 attendees who came to visit 4,000 exhibits, 1200 of which were presented by startups. This article highlights the key trends and messages on mobility and related technologies I observed during 3 days on site — here you can find my analyses on the previous three CES. Whereas autonomous driving (specifically Level 4) took a back seat this year, in-cabin experience along with digital cockpits were at the core of many corporate booths. Professional applications of drones as well as AR/VR, and to a lesser extent 5G were also very visible. A handful of OEMs presented new vehicles — or often production versions of vehicles already introduced.

This edition of the event positioned mobility at large, and more specifically automotive, even more at its core than in previous years. By contrast, OEMs around the world are increasingly absent from “traditional” auto shows. Their most dire challenge is indeed about transforming themselves with new technologies and business models. As a result, they need to appeal to the tech people who attend or present at CES.

My French readers may be interested in noting that French Tech reduced its participation from about 450 last year — a peak after years of growth — to about 300, placing the country in 4th position among startup nations present at CES. China and Korea both moved ahead of France. This increased selectivity was for the better.

Digital cockpits and in-cabin experience

Back at CES 2018, Daimler introduced its new MB User Experience (MBUX) platform. This year, a number of suppliers including Faurecia, Samsung, Qualcomm or Panasonic presented their integrated solutions for complete on-board experiences. Features encompass the porting of one’s digital profile to provide a seamless experience, immersive sound, digital assistants, gaming with cloud streaming, keeping the driver alert, or ensuring no children are left on the back seat — the latter two will soon be required by law.

These features leverage the new, extensive understanding of passengers and of the cabin as a whole: age, position, biometrics, activities such as drinking, texting or sleeping, or cabin surfaces. This understanding is made possible by new cockpit domain controllers fed by a broad suite of sensors and controlled through an increasing number of interactive displays.

read more: https://urbanmobilitydaily.com/mobility-trends-at-ces-2020/