CES 2023 Las Vegas: What is BMW's DEE “ultimate companion”, and Sony's Afeela?

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Consumer Electronics Show CES in Las Vegas

CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, is an annual Las Vegas, Nevada/USA trade show. It is one of the world's largest and most influential technology events, where leading companies and innovators from the consumer electronics industry showcase their latest products and technologies.

Impressions live from CES 2023 – BMW's DEE, Afeela, Elon Musk's Boring tunnel with Tesla shuttles

CES 2023 for automobility

CES 2023 showcased numerous automotive and mobility innovations, some of which are highlighted below:

  1. Electric and autonomous vehicles: Many automakers showcased their latest electric and autonomous cars at CES 2023. These vehicles are equipped with advanced technologies to provide a safer and more efficient driving experience, including AI, machine learning, and computer vision. In Oliver Zipse´s keynote address, the BMW CEO premiered "BMW i Vision DEE", a digital mobility experience deemed the "ultimate companion" (link) and an evolution of its famous "Ultimate Driving Machine" slogan. Mercedes Benz presented its VISION EQXX research vehicle (connection), and CTO Michael Schaefer announced the launch of a globally branded high-power charging network, starting in North America (link).
  2. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): ADAS technologies, which can help drivers avoid accidents and improve road safety, were also highlighted at CES 2023. Such systems include lane departure warnings, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control.
  3. Connected cars: The concept of the connected car was also a big overarching theme at CES 2023. Cars with internet connectivity allow drivers to access various services, such as real-time traffic updates, weather forecasts, and entertainment systems. A highly talked about example was the Afeela show car by Sony Honda Mobility (link). This joint effort pushes the envelope of data collection with 37 exterior sensors and seven in-car cameras to support the next-gen ADAS, as well as connected and personalized vehicle services.
  4. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): AR and VR technologies have moved into automotive and mobility spaces. These technologies can be used for training, providing virtual test drives, and improving the overall user experience.
  5. Sustainable mobility: Several companies showcased sustainable mobility solutions at CES 2023. These solutions, which included electric bikes, scooters, and other micromobility and last-mile options, help reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in urban areas. Stellantis went big with its Free2move mobility service, launched in 2017 as a "mobility aggregation platform" in Seattle (link). Free2move has been expanding across modes of transport and geographic locations. In May 2022, it acquired German carsharing company Share Now GmbH, the product of the merger of Daimler/ Mercedes-Benz´s Car2Go and BMW´s DriveNow.

Overall, CES 2023 showcased a wide range of automotive and mobility innovations, which highlighted the transformation of the transportation industry towards electric, autonomous, and connected vehicles, and emphasized the move towards sustainable mobility options.

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Chris S. Langdon
Chris S. Langdon

Business Lead, Data Analytics Executive, Catena-X Product Manager

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