Since it began, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been at the forefront of global technological innovation.
However, in recent years, the focus on automotive technology has only increased and shows no sign of stopping.
This year, there will be 115 automotive technology companies present, including nine automotive manufacturers.
Here are five of the biggest automotive announcements you can expect from this year’s show.
Faraday Future
Automotive start-up Faraday Future has been teasing electronics junkies for some time now. Heralded as the mysterious Tesla rival, the company is set to unleash their new EV concept at CES ahead of its production launch in 2017.
What is it?
Well, we don’t exactly know just yet, but from what little information we have, we know one thing – it’s sure to be exciting.
Faraday Future’s teaser video shown below asks us some questions that hint some way towards the direction of their EV concept:
What if all those cars parked in driveways had more interesting lives, and we did too?
What if you didn’t so much own a car, as use one when you need it?
What if such a car could redefine our relationship with the automobile itself?
The questions hint towards more than just a car prototype, they suggest a sort of car-sharing scheme, shifting the idea of car ownership.
We can’t wait to see what they have to say.
Faraday Future on going further with EV tech:
‘Beyond traditional electric vehicles, we are also developing other aspects of the automotive and technology industries, including unique ownership models, in-vehicle content and autonomous driving.’
Intrigued? The concept reveal will be live streamed from CES at 8.00pm PST (4.00am GMT). Check out Faraday Future’s Twitter page for announcements.
Ford
SYNC technology
Image: Ford Sync 2
Ford had one of the first big announcements of this year’s CES. The US car giant has revealed that its focus will be to expand SYNC technology and include Apple and Android technology in all Ford vehicles. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will join several new apps so that Ford drivers can remain connected when behind the wheel.
When can we expect it?
Ford has announced that the technology will be universal on all SYNC-equipped Ford vehicles from 2017 onwards in North America, rolling out worldwide soon after.
Google partnership
It was also reported late last year that Ford would be announcing a partnership with Google Inc. to speed up the production of driverless cars.
This is yet to be confirmed, but it is hoped that the partnership would help to get a prototype off the ground by combining Google’s tech expertise with Ford’s extensive auto knowledge.
Volkswagen’s BUDD.e
Volkswagen has also been providing us with some teaser tweets in the run up to CES.
From the photos the carmaker has shared, we can deduce that the all-electric microbus that Volkswagen will be debuting at CES will be called ‘BUDD.e’.
What’s in the name?
The name echoes ‘Bulli’, a microbus concept revealed by the company back in 2011.
Image: 2011's Bulli concept
The concept is likely to be a revised, all-electric version of the Bulli microbus.
While we don’t know much more about BUDD.e just yet, Volkswagen’s most recent video offers enough to keep us interested until the big reveal later this week…
Mercedes me
Mercedes-Benz has designed its exhibition stand for CES 2016 as a pop-up Mercedes me store.
The motto ‘It’s all about me’ underpins the Mercedes me exhibition stand and allows visitors to immerse themselves in the Mercedes me experience.
Modern mobility and digital life
On show at CES will be various features that Mercedes-Benz is offering to compliment the modern connected lifestyle.
From smartphone integration to touch-sensitive control, the Mercedes me stand promises to be a hub of modern car technology.
E-Class
Visitors to the Mercedes me stand will also be able to view inside the cockpit of the upcoming E-Class.
Inside the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class
While we don’t have much information on what the new E-Class will offer, Mercedes-Benz has said that it ‘will herald an all new era in digitalisation’.
Watch this space.
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Ford and Faraday Future aren’t the only ones with some electric offerings at this year’s CES.
The production-ready 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be revealed at the show following the concept launch at last year’s Detroit Auto Show.
Image: The Chevrolet Bolt EV at the Detroit Auto Show
At the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, it was suggested that the Bolt EV would have a 200-mile range and be priced around $30,000. The success of the production-ready car at CES hinges on whether or not General Motors has been able to keep these promises.