Cars and Drivers
Automakers Bringing It to the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show
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The 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opens Thursday, and while excitement seems rather muted for consumer electronics products, there is plenty of interest in what automakers are bringing to Las Vegas this year.
Most of what the carmakers are showing off are incremental improvements to autonomous vehicles, but there are a few concepts that have spurred some interest as well.
Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) will debut its new hybrid autonomous Fusion at the show. According to the company, the new vehicle uses Ford’s current autonomous vehicle platform but the company has juiced the car’s processing power. Ford said the new vehicle is an evolutionary change to the “two main elements to creating an autonomous vehicle — the autonomous vehicle platform, which is an upgraded version of the car itself, and the virtual driver system.”
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU) is showing off a concept it calls the Portal, a battery electric vehicle (EV) that is compatible with Level 3 autonomous operation (driver still required, but the vehicle may assume monitoring chores).
Missing in action is General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM). The company introduced its Chevy Bolt EV at last year’s show and the Bolt began appearing in dealer showrooms last month. But as we noted over the weekend, 60% of Americans don’t even know that EVs exist. Now that GM has a car with acceptable range and a competitive price, the company needs to promote and sell it.
Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) also will be showing a concept vehicle that the company says “highlights the critical importance of UX [user experience] in the development of highly automated vehicles and robots.” The company also said it will introduce its next-generation framework for connected vehicle and telematics systems.
BMW is showing off some gee-whiz technology it calls its HoloActive Touch system. Drivers interact with a free-floating holographic display by using finger gestures, not a touchscreen.
Mercedes-Benz is bringing is concept EQ battery electric vehicle to the show. The EV has a range of 310 miles and is expected to go into production in 2019. The carmaker also has a concept all-electric delivery vehicle, the Vision Van, that incorporates roof-mounted drones that automatically deliver or fetch packages, an automated cargo area the loads packages and a package tracking system.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn is Thursday’s keynote speaker, and he is expected to announce a new version of the company’s Leaf hybrid or even an all-electric vehicle with a range similar to the Chevy Bolt’s 215-mile range.
Hyundai is bringing two prototype copies of its Ioniq autonomous vehicle and plans to take media types for rides around Las Vegas.
Startup carmaker Faraday Future is showing off its first concept car Tuesday evening at a pre-show press event.
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