Even before the official start of CES 2025, certain trends began to emerge, and some notable gaps became apparent.
Several major U.S. and some European automakers, who have historically made the show a significant automotive event, were absent this year. Filling this void were several Chinese automakers, most notably Zeekr, the electric vehicle (EV) brand owned by Geely Holdings. Wey, a premium brand owned by Great Wall Motor, and Xpeng also had prominent booths. The West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, where much of the vehicle and transportation technology is typically displayed, felt emptier than in previous years.
Interestingly, some of the biggest announcements didn’t involve new EVs or other products that would take up a lot of physical space. For example, Toyota announced the first phase of Woven City, a prototype city built on 175 acres at the foot of Mount Fuji, was complete and seeking inventors and startups. They are also exploring rockets, which is perhaps not something that can be exhibited at CES. However, there was definitely future-of-transportation tech to be discovered.
This year, autonomous vehicle (AV) technology had a larger presence than ever before, and the advancements displayed offered a glimpse into how the rest of the year may unfold.
AI and Automated Driving Tech
Some of the largest exhibits at CES 2025 focused on automated driving technologies. Autonomous vehicle companies developing – or already launching – robotaxi services – like May Mobility, Tier IV, Waymo, and Zoox – all had a presence. Zoox even gave robotaxi rides to the media leading up to and during the show.
Automated technology also extended to different sectors, including agriculture-focused companies such as John Deere and Kubota, as well as startups like Polymath Robotics, which applies its self-driving systems to off-road environments. A significant number of companies exhibited products that support automated driving and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), including simulation tools, machine learning solutions, sensors, and data integration platforms. Honda jumped into the mix by announcing a new operating system, called ASIMO (named after their iconic robot), that will be integrated into their next-generation 0 Series EVs to support ADAS features.
Comma.ai was also in attendance. This startup, founded by George Hotz, has developed an open-source driver-assistance system and supporting hardware that can be plugged into modern vehicles to provide ADAS capabilities similar to Tesla Autopilot and GM’s Super Cruise system. Vay, which has created a driverless car-sharing service, was also in Las Vegas, though not on the show floor. The company, which established operations in the city a few years ago, announced a major expansion of its service.
Nvidia’s Expanding Role
Nvidia consistently makes significant announcements at CES regarding partnerships with automakers, suppliers, and other transportation partners using its technology. CES 2025 was no exception. What stood out this year was Nvidia’s focus on providing as much of the self-driving stack as possible, covering everything from testing and simulation to onboard supercomputers and cloud supercomputing.
A primary example of this was Nvidia’s collaboration with Toyota. The two companies have worked together for years on developing and validating AV technology, but this year they announced more concrete plans for Nvidia’s tech to power Toyota’s future vehicles, which will be equipped with automated driving capabilities using Nvidia’s Drive AGX Orin System-on-a-Chip (SoC) and DriveOS safety-focused operating system.
When specifically looking at Level 4 autonomous vehicle technology, Nvidia had further news: They are partnering with self-driving trucking company Aurora Innovation and automotive supplier Continental. This partnership will integrate Nvidia’s Drive Thor SoC and DriveOS into the Aurora Driver, the AV system that Continental plans to mass-produce in 2027.
A surprising partnership was announced with Uber. The ride-hail and delivery service plans to use Nvidia’s new world model simulation tool, Cosmos, and the DGX Cloud cloud-based AI supercomputing platform to support the development of autonomous vehicle technology. While Uber didn’t specify how it would use these tools, the company plans to partner with AV developers to bring self-driving services to its platform.
New Takes on Screens
Screens are a familiar element at CES, and for a while now, they have been ubiquitous. However, this year, companies pushed the boundaries of traditional screen technology.
Supplier Valeo showcased its innovative panovision technology, which reflects a full screen along the base of the windshield. They had previously revealed this technology at CES 2024. This year, an in-cabin driver monitoring system was integrated into the technology. Automotive supplier Hyundai Mobis revealed a holographic screen covering the entire windshield. From the outside, it appears as a standard windshield, but viewed from the driver’s seat, it transforms into a transparent screen displaying navigation and music playlists.
GenAI Enters the Car
Automakers are embracing the generative AI hype – a trend that began last year. Even a casual observer would have noticed the terms “GenAI,” “ChatGPT,” or “LLMs” throughout the vehicle technology sections of the LVCC. While it was everywhere, in some cases, these terms reflected actual partnerships and strategies.
BMW, for example, showcased its new in-car user interface at CES 2025, which will debut in its Neue Klasse sedan later this year and eventually be implemented in all BMW models. BMW announced that it would use Amazon’s Alexa custom assistant technology in these vehicles and in existing models. This is not the same Alexa app that drivers may already have, as it is a white-label product that will integrate Amazon’s Large Language Models (LLMs). Initially, this technology will be used for navigation, allowing drivers to provide more extensive spoken commands using natural language. BMW and Amazon will begin to roll out LLM-powered capabilities as a beta feature in select vehicles and countries.
Qualcomm came to CES with significant improvements to its Snapdragon Digital Chassis, a suite of cloud-connected platforms for automakers, and its Cockpit digital cockpit and infotainment system. Incorporating generative AI was, of course, a key update. The chipmaker said that numerous automotive suppliers – including Alps Alpine, Panasonic, and Garmin – as well as Indian automaker Mahindra – plan to integrate Qualcomm technology into their experiences. Indeed, generative AI features are becoming standard for “intelligent and personalized in-cabin experiences.”
Some features that are empowered by Meta’s Llama and OpenAI’s Whisper Small could include real-time detection of distracted or drowsy driving; biometric identification to automatically adjust seat positions, mirror angles, and so on; and navigation recommendations based on the driver’s state, such as suggesting a coffee shop if they appear tired. Other potential applications for Qualcomm’s generative AI offerings could be multimodal AI that identifies points of interest en route, using models like Llama, open source LLaVA, and Fast Stable Diffusion, or even custom content generation to deliver personalized, on-demand entertainment to passengers.
Micromobility Still Exists!
Finally, while there has been much talk – and evidence – suggesting that micromobility has disappeared, that’s not quite accurate. While shared scooter and e-bike businesses have largely struggled or shut down, observing the North Hall, revealed a surprising number of e-bike and scooter brands, many of which were Chinese brands, exhibiting their products. Vmax released six new scooters for its 2025 lineup, Aima Technology Group revealed several new e-bikes, and Heybikes released a mid-drive fat tire model. Segment leader Segway also introduced two new e-bikes equipped with the company’s Intelligent Ride System, a suite of smart tech and features. Verge Motorcycles subsidiary Donut Lab also joined the mix, releasing an electric motor designed to be integrated directly into the tire.
