The Future of Cars on Display at CES 2025
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, a massive annual event, is evolving into a significant auto show. This year’s event drew 141,000 attendees, and showcased innovative car technologies, including the latest electric vehicle (EV) models, autonomous driving software, and cutting-edge dashcams. U.S. News spent the week at the show, seeking out the most compelling advancements that are shaping the future of mobility. Here’s a glimpse at some of the highlights.
BMW Panoramic iDrive
At CES 2025, BMW unveiled the next generation of its iDrive infotainment system. This new iDrive features a wide, dashboard-spanning screen, a 3D head-up display, a revamped steering wheel, and a crystal-clear central display, all powered by a new software platform dubbed BMW Operating System X.
BMW’s Panoramic iDrive system with a wide screen.
Since its introduction, iDrive has been a subject of debate, particularly its early versions, which were often criticized for their complexity. However, with each iteration, the system has improved significantly. The new BMW Panoramic iDrive appears to be the most user-friendly and powerful version yet. BMW has announced that this system will be integrated into all its new models beginning at the end of 2025.
Honda 0 Series
Honda presented its vision for the future of electric vehicles with futuristic prototypes from its new 0 Series. Honda suggested that the 0 Saloon and 0 SUV concepts closely represent the design direction of their future production models, scheduled to launch in 2026.
Honda’s 0 Series Saloon concept had a futuristic design.
The 0 Saloon boasts a low, wedge-shaped front end, resembling a Lamborghini, and a sleek roofline with a sharply angled rear. The short overhangs hint that it is an EV. The rear window’s visibility is questionable. The Honda 0 SUV has a significantly different design, with ultra-modern headlights and a relatively traditional SUV front profile, with a slim cabin greenhouse. The SUV’s body is truncated just behind the rear wheels, sporting a U-shaped LED band and a slim horizontal window on the tailgate.
Honda has yet to announce the powertrain details, pricing, and range estimates for these models.
Toyota’s Rocket Ambitions
Beyond car manufacturing, Toyota has announced an investment in Interstellar Technologies, a Japanese startup, to build actual rockets. The automaker will invest approximately $44 million and lend its manufacturing expertise to accelerate rocket mass production.
Toyota’s Chairman, Akio Toyoda, discussed the company’s new rocket venture.
“We are exploring rockets too, because the future of mobility shouldn’t be limited to just earth or just one car company, for that matter,” said Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda, subtly referencing Tesla’s SpaceX. Honda is also researching rockets to place payloads into low Earth orbit, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is collaborating with the Japanese government on expendable launch vehicles.
Toyota Woven City
Toyota is also developing the Woven City project, with the first phase now complete. The initial wave of researchers and residents will arrive this fall. The project is a prototype community designed to test new mobility options and technologies in a compact setting, with residents providing constant feedback.
Toyota’s Woven City project is near Mount Fuji in Japan.
Located near Japan’s Mount Fuji on the site of a former Toyota factory, the new community initially accommodate 100 residents, including Toyota employees and partners. The population will eventually grow to 2,000 residents, including some who are not affiliated with the company. The project aims to support the region’s economic recovery.
Pebble Flow Trailer
The Pebble Flow trailer, initially presented as a concept at last year’s CES, arrived this year as a production-ready prototype. It’s a travel trailer equipped with several features and powered by a large battery pack, charged in the same way as an electric car.
The Pebble Flow trailer shown at CES.
This battery can also charge from a 1.1-kW rooftop solar array and can power the trailer’s functions and provide supplemental power to relieve the towing vehicle’s load. Fully charged, the trailer can provide power to a typical campsite for about a week. When at home, it can act as a battery backup during power outages. The Pebble Flow can move under its own power, using a remote control to navigate short distances, and it can autonomously hitch itself to a tow vehicle via advanced vision systems. Prices will range from $109,500 to $175,000, with deliveries anticipated to begin this spring.
Elaphe Sonic.1 In-Wheel Motors
Elaphe Sonic.1 In-Wheel Motors.
Slovenian company Elaphe showcased electric motors that fit within the wheels themselves, compatible with existing wheel and brake designs. Their Sonic.1 system can deliver up to 272 horsepower continuously (347 peak horsepower) to each front wheel. These motors offer greater power and significantly more precise control for each wheel compared to traditional motors, particularly critical for handling changing driving conditions. Additionally, in-wheel motors are lighter and more compact than conventional electric motors. Elaphe is collaborating with several automakers to integrate this technology.
Italdesign’s Quintessenza Concept
The Italdesign Quintessenza, a unique design study at CES, featured a four-seat cabin, butterfly doors, and rear seats that rotate to face the hardtop convertible cargo bed.
- Itadesign’s Quintessenza Concept*
Its interior is minimalist, with yoke steering and smartphone-controlled vehicle functions. The vehicle is powered by four Elaphe in-wheel motors. Italdesign was founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani, designers of renowned cars such as the Volkswagen Golf and DeLorean DMC-12.
The All-New Aptera
The Aptera electric vehicle featuring solar panels on its roof and hood.
The Aptera, a two-seat, three-wheel hatchback, promises an electric car that needs minimal external charging due to its solar panels that generate up to 40 miles of range daily. The company debuted a production-ready model with a central airplane-like fuselage with podded outriggers holding its front wheels and a single rear wheel. The battery pack provides a 400-mile range, and the vehicle can also be charged at external charging stations. Aptera plans to begin production in 2025, with a target price of $40,000 for the launch edition. The company claims about 50,000 pre-orders.
Additional Innovations
Other notable technologies at CES 2025 included the Xpeng AeroHT flying car, the Vueroid S1 4K Infinite dashcam, and the TUC Technologies modular dashboard. Sony and Honda also displayed the Afeela 1, while Stryten Energy demonstrated its mobile microgrid, and Mobileye showcased its self-driving technology, integrated into a Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
RheoLight and Nighttime Visibility
RheoLight Crystal Glass Pigments, perfectly round glass “microspheres” can be added to paints, making them substantially more reflective to the human eye and a vehicle’s various sensors to improve nighttime visibility. The company showed how the paint additive can make bicycles and other vehicles more visible, allowing cars to “see” better at night.
RheoLight’s paint additive enhances the visibility of scooters at night.
CES 2025 showcased a wide array of technologies, offering a glimpse into the future of automotive innovation, from advanced driver-assistance systems and EV battery technology to enhanced infotainment systems. While some of these technologies are already on the road, others offer a glimpse into the future of automotive technology, answering questions that car shoppers haven’t even considered yet.
