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Even before CES 2025 started some things started to appear – or more correctly, some opportunities appeared.
Both US and European automakers have helped turn CES into an auto show there was none. Several Chinese automakers have filled the gap, most notably Zeekr, the EV brand of China’s Geely Holdings. Wey, the top brand under Great Wall Motor, and Xpeng also had bags.
In the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, where most of the automotive and transportation equipment is installed, it was even busier than in previous years. And in fact, some of the big announcements had nothing to do with new EVs — or other things that would take up a lot of space. Toyota, for example, announced the first phase of Woven City, a demonstration city built on 175 acres at the foot of Mount Fuji, was completed and. in search of creators and innovators. Oh, and that too “rocket research.” Not exactly what one would show at CES.
However, there was future transportation technology to be discovered. This year, autonomous vehicle technology was more present than ever, and what was available gave little idea of what the rest of the year would be like. Here are the main topics we saw at the show.
AI is a self-driving car
Some of the biggest shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center focused on driving technologies.
Independent companies that are developing (or have launched) robotaxi services like Ms. Mobilitya Japanese Tier IV company, That’s itand Zoox all had it. In particular, Zoox was also offering robotaxi rides to journalists leading up to CES and throughout the show.
Electronic technology also appeared in other areas, including companies focused on agriculture John Deere and Kubota and startups like Polymath Robotics that use its autonomous systems in remote areas.
Perhaps the industry’s largest group is showcasing driver-assistance products and advanced driver-assistance technologies, including simulation, machine learning, sensors, and data integration. Even Honda got into the mix by announcing a new operating system called Asimo (yes, after the famous robot) that will be included in next-gen 0 Series EVs and support ADAS images.
Comma.ai was also on site. The startup, founded by George Hotz, has developed an open-source driver control and assistance system that can be integrated into most modern vehicles to provide advanced driver assistance capabilities along with Tesla Autopilot and GM’s handsfree Super Cruise system.
Vay, who has revolutionized ride-sharing, was also in Las Vegas — though not at the show. The startup, which set up shop in the city a few years ago, announced a the greatness of his ministry.
Nvidia continues to partner with everyone
Every year at CES, the travel desk receives a number of announcements from Nvidia detailing what automakers, suppliers, and partners are signing up to use Nvidia technology, and 2025 was no different. What stood out, however, was Nvidia’s commitment to providing as much automation as possible, from testing and simulation to supercomputers to cloud supercomputing.
One big example was Nvidia’s partnership with Toyota. The two have worked together for years to help Toyota’s R&D team develop, train, and validate AV technology, but this year, the two announced plans to expand their reach. Nvidia’s tech powers Toyota’s future carswhich we now know will have the ability to drive a car. Specifically, we’ll be looking at Nvidia’s Drive AGX Orin System-on-a-Chip (SoC) and security-focused DriveOS for use in Toyota’s next-generation vehicles.
When it comes to Level 4 autonomous vehicle technology (meaning, a system that can drive itself without the need for a human to take over), Nvidia had a lot of news to share. The chipmaker is partnering with self-driving car company Aurora Innovation and automotive supplier Continental to see it. Nvidia’s Drive Thor The SoC and DriveOS are integrated into the Aurora Driver, which is Aurora’s AV system that Continental plans to mass produce in 2027.
Finally, one of the most amazing partnerships he had an Uber. Snowboarder and delivery plans to use Nvidia’s new global hardware, Cosmosis a cloud-based AI platform, DGX Cloudsupporting the development of autonomous vehicle technology. Uber has not shared how it plans to use the devices, as it does not develop its own AV technology. The company plans to partner with AV companies to bring self-driving services to its platform.
New content depends on the screen
Screens are nothing new at CES. They have been everywhere for a while now. This year, there were other companies pushing the concept of visuals beyond traditional concepts.
Supplier Valeo showed off a new feature it calls panovision – which will be in BMW’s next generation of Neue Klasse cars – which displays a full screen at the base of the windscreen. The company unveiled this technology at CES 2024. This year, an internal driver monitoring system has been integrated into the system.
Car dealer Hyundai Mobis showed off a holographic screen that covers the entire windshield. From the outside it looks like any other glass. But from behind the driver’s seat, the windshield turns into a screen that provides information such as directions and music playing.
GenAI crawls into the car
Automakers have been swept up in the mix of AI hype — which started last year. Even a casual observer may have recognized the words “genAI” “chatgpt” or “LLMs” in the LVCC automotive technology section.
It was everywhere – and nowhere, if you catch our drift. In some cases, there was real agreement and planning behind the words.
Take BMW and its partnership with Amazon. BMW used CES 2025 to showcase its new self-driving car, which will debut in A new class sedan later this year and eventually spread to all models.
BMW says it will use Amazon Alexa technology in future cars and those on the road today. This is not what the Alexa software drivers can be used for. This is a clean tool that will include a large variety of Amazon languages. The use of this technology is focused on navigation, in an attempt to allow customers to issue commands using natural language.
BMW and Amazon have started rolling out LLM-powered powertrains as part of a beta for select vehicles in countries.
Meanwhile, Qualcomm came to CES with its update Snapdragon Digital Chassis (its suite of cloud-connected platforms for automakers) and Cockpit (its suite of digital and infotainment systems). And it wouldn’t be CES 2025 if some of those changes didn’t include AI rollout.
The chipmaker said that various car manufacturers – such as Alps Alpine, Panasonic, and Garmin – as well as Indian automaker Mahindra, are planning to integrate Qualcomm’s technology into their processes. Generative AI features now come with a feature for “intelligent and personalized experiences.”
Other features powered by Meta’s Llama and OpenAI’s Whisper Small can be seen as real-time detection of distracted driving or sleep; biometric identification to automatically adjust seat position, angle mirrors, and more; Traffic suggestions based on the driver’s condition, such as a coffee shop if they seem tired.
Some of the potential uses of Qualcomm’s AI offerings may be multi-level AI that identifies points of interest on the road, using models like Llama, the open source LlaVa, and Fast Stable Diffusion, or a generation of products dedicated to providing personalized entertainment, which requires passengers.
Micromobility is here!
Finally, there has been much talk – and evidence – that micromobility is dead. But it is not correct.
Of course, the scooter and ebike businesses have been struggling, or closing. But walking in the North Hall, we were impressed by the number of ebikes and scooters (most of them were Chinese brands) on display.
Vmax released six new scooters for its 2025 lineup, Aima Technology Group unveiled several new ebikes, and Heybikes released a range of mid-ride tires. Segment leader Segwey also launched two new ebikes equipped with an industry-leading technology called the Intelligent Ride System.
Verge Motorcycles contributor Donut Lab has also stepped in and released an electric motor that can be integrated directly into a tire.
