[CES D-7] Car Proposes Optimal Route by Itself... AI-Driven Future Mobility

2024 CES Mobility Sector
Main Theme: AI-Driven SDV
Hyundai Motor Group Participates at Record Scale
Mercedes-Benz and BMW Unveil New AI and SW Technologies
Expanding Mobility with UAM and Flying Cars

From the 9th to the 12th of this month (local time), CES 2024 held in Las Vegas, USA, will showcase a large number of new mobility technologies that offer a glimpse into the future of advanced transportation. While last year's CES focused on the competition around mobility technologies emphasizing 'electrification,' this year, 'SDV (Software-Defined Vehicle)' utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a major agenda.

According to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which organizes the world's largest IT and electronics exhibition CES, about 300 mobility-related companies will participate this year. In Korea, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, Hyundai Mobis, Supernal, Motional, Zero1, and FortyTwoDot, seven affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group, are expected to set up the largest-ever booths.

Hyundai Motor will present its future mobility vision under the theme of 'Great Transition to Hydrogen and Software (SW).' In particular, the theme of the software transition is expected to draw the most attention as Song Chang-hyun, president of FortyTwoDot, the group’s global software center, will personally appear as a speaker to introduce the group’s SDV vision.

FortyTwoDot is responsible for Hyundai Motor Group’s SDV strategy. The SDV new technology themed 'AI Machine' is considered the highlight of this event. When applied to cars, this technology enables vehicles to learn the driver’s driving habits and autonomously suggest optimal routes, recognize when an electric vehicle needs charging, notify the driver, and even find charging stations on its own.

Kia will unveil sustainable Purpose-Built Vehicle (PBV) solutions, introducing new businesses and lifestyles linked to PBVs. Simply put, PBVs are 'customized vehicles' built by modifying the same chassis according to various purposes. PBVs can create vehicles tailored for logistics delivery, office and leisure spaces, and other purposes on the same platform. Kia will reveal a lineup of five PBV concept cars for the first time at this CES.

Among global automakers, Mercedes-Benz will introduce the 'MBUX Virtual Assistant,' which provides an intuitive experience based on AI. This feature integrates intelligent systems, including high-resolution graphics, into one, enabling more natural interactions between the vehicle and humans. BMW will also showcase new convenience technologies utilizing software.

The reason global automakers are eager to transition to SDV is that consumer experiences in the mobility industry are being reorganized around software. In the past, mobility was simply a means of physical transportation, but future mobility will be a device that offers special experiences through software technology.

Especially in the full-fledged SDV era, there will be little reason to frequently buy new cars. Through over-the-air (OTA) software updates, vehicles can be kept up-to-date, providing the effect of always driving a new car. Autonomous vehicles, made up of vast data, communication, and electronic technologies, can also be broadly considered SDVs. This year’s CES will provide insight into the current status of mobility software technology development at the early stage of the SDV transition.

The 'electrification' that attracted attention until last year has somewhat slowed down. The only notable event is Japanese automaker Honda unveiling a series of electric vehicle concepts. This is because all electric vehicle-related new technologies that could be commercialized in the short term were revealed last year. The recent slowdown in electric vehicle market sales has also dampened interest in electric vehicle technology.

New mobility technologies expanding the domain of movement to air and sea are also attracting attention. Mobileye, an autonomous driving company under Intel, will introduce autonomous driving solutions that can drive automatically when the driver takes their hands off the steering wheel while watching the road ahead, or even when the driver is not watching the road ahead.

In the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) sector, Supernal, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, will unveil a new UAM aircraft and announce strategies for building a future Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem. In response, AeroHT, a subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle maker Xiaopeng, will reveal a new concept flying car. AeroHT’s flying car transforms from a vehicle running on the ground to a flying machine capable of vertical takeoff and landing by unfolding its propellers.