Written by / Meng Wei
Editor/ Zhang Nan
Design / Shi Yuchao
CeS 2022 has come to an end, although it has been shortened to 3 days due to the epidemic, but for the absolute protagonist of this exhibition, the automotive industry, there are still a large number of new technologies, new products and new strategies.
CES has always been regarded as the vane of the development of global consumer electronics, and the car, the traditional means of transportation in people's eyes, when it continues to evolve towards the new species of mobile intelligent terminals, it also makes people have more visions and imaginations for future travel.
After sorting out the information released by major car companies and supply chain companies at this CES, automotive business reviews summarized it into six major trends.
Accelerated electric vehicle strategy
Electric vehicles could account for more than half of global passenger car sales as early as 2026, a four-year increase over previous forecasts.
The unveiling of electric vehicle products of major car companies at CES and the aggressive pure electric strategy confirm this trend.
Mercedes-Benz unveiled their new pure electric concept vision EQXX at CES, and although the range of a single charge is 1,000 kilometers, the wind resistance coefficient is 0.17, and the seamless 47.5-inch ultra-thin integrated screen may not be the first in the industry, but the combination of these elements represents the future in the eyes of automotive inventors.
Because compared to the vision AVTR, another concept car released by Mercedes-Benz at CES in 2020, the VISION EQXX has infinite possibilities to be close to mass production.
BMW also continues to expand its electrification family.
With a peak torque of more than 1,000 Nm, the BMW iX M60 is known as the BMW Group's strongest all-electric production model ever. The fusion of bmw i brand genes and BMW M sports genes has always been one of BMW's strategies to cope with the new challenges of the electrification era.
Mary Barra, Chairman and CEO of GM, delivered a keynote speech in which she explained the wave of change unleashed by the "Aotene effect" and the latest progress in the company's transformation into a platform innovator through the immersive virtual experience Exhibit Zero.
On the basis of the already launched GMC pure electric Hummer, BrightDrop EV600 pure electric logistics vehicle and Cadillac LYRIQ smart pure electric luxury SUV on the Aotene platform, the Chevrolet Silverado pure electric pickup truck and the Cadillac InnerSpace autonomous driving concept car have been added to accelerate the transition to pure electric vehicles.
Volvo has released a new all-electric concept car, the Concept Recharge, which is expected to be Volvo's next mass-produced pure electric model.
Stellantis' Chrysler and DS brands have brought their own pure electric concept cars and electrification schedules respectively.
Chrysler announced the launch of its first pure electric vehicle in 2025 with the Airflow concept car, and in 2028, Chrysler became a pure electric brand;
DS announced their full acceleration of electrification strategy transformation with the E-Tense FE21 race car, and promised that every new model launched by 2024 will be 100% electric models that include leading technology and exquisite design.
The transformation of traditional car companies to the electrification strategy continues to accelerate, and new players are also competing to enter the game.
The one that gets the most attention is Sony.
In addition to the Vision S01 and the new electric SUV concept car Vision S02, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida announced that he will establish Sony Mobile to commercialize its electric vehicle business.
Another new entrant is VinFast from Vietnam.
Founded in 2017 and first unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2019, the new car company is now an absolute champion of pure electric vehicles.
Not only did they announce that they would stop producing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by the end of 2022, but they focused on the development of pure electric powertrains for their vehicles, becoming one of the first automotive companies in the world to fully switch to pure electric vehicles.
VinFast released VF 5 (Class A), VF 6 (Class B), VF 7 (Class C) and VF 8 (Class D) and VF 9 (Class E) after switching from fuel vehicles to pure electric vehicles. Two products, the VF 8 and VF 9, are also available for pre-order in the U.S. market.
At the same time, on the electrified road, relatively equipped with more power batteries to improve the range, car companies began to pay more attention to energy consumption.
Mercedes-Benz's VISION EQXX is a typical example.
With an ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.17 body design, a new battery pack that halves the volume and reduces weight by 30 percent, a pure electric chassis with a lightweight F1 subframe, Bridgestone Turanza Eco tires with Oakic technology, and 20-inch lightweight magnesium alloy forged rims, this car includes almost all technical applications that can be used in low energy consumption.
At CES, Magna demonstrated a new electric vehicle technology, EtelligentReach, which is similar to the time-sharing four-wheel drive system of fuel vehicles, which can reduce the energy consumption of the power system by disconnecting the front motor when the vehicle is not needed, so that the endurance of the electric vehicle can be increased by 145 kilometers.
Valeo also brings the latest version of the intelligent cockpit heating innovation – the FlexHeater. This is a new cabin surface heating technology, combined with the intelligent air heating system, compared with the traditional heating system, the four passengers consume 25% less electricity, and the driver consumes 50% less power when driving alone, helping to increase the vehicle's range.
What a new species should look like
For the future of the car as a new species of mobile intelligent terminals, what it should look like, you can imagine it boldly.
But at CES, we can already see some positive attempts from the products released by car companies.
First, new materials, especially biodegradable materials, will be used more in interiors.
The seats of the Mercedes Vision EQXX are made of cactus raw material and mycelium, and their carpets are woven from 100% bamboo fiber.
Volvo has previously predicted that by 2025, 25% of its plastics will be based on biomaterials or from recycled materials; BMW's BMW Vision Circular concept car also proposes that 100% be manufactured from recycled materials and renewable raw materials and 100% recyclable.
Second, more and more cameras, radar, ultrasonic and lidar sensors are getting on the bus.
Sony's Vision S02 concept car has as many as 40 sensors, to know that before whether it is Weilai Auto ET7, or Feifan Auto R7, the number of perception hardware is 30+, the so-called no most, only more.
On the road to the realization of L4 autonomous driving, the hardware arms race of car companies is still continuing.
Third, the new experience of sound and color in the electric era.
At CES, BMW has brought a series of new technologies and experiences to people for the use of smart electric vehicles in the future.
First, it offers four cockpit modes, namely Soothing, Delightful, Digital Art, and Cinema, replacing the three modes of personality, sportiness, and energy saving it proposed at CES in 2020.
Judging from the name, these four modes are no longer based solely on the level of driving experience, but on the sensory experience level of both driving and riding.
Each mode is equipped with a different sound wave, lighting, atmosphere and graphics. Cinema mode, on the other hand, comes with a 31-inch (about 78 cm) display with a resolution of 8K. This display is mounted on the roof of the car and extends from the canopy to the front seat backrest when viewed.
The Soothing & Invigorating mode will be launched via OTA in the second half of 2022.
Soundwaves are the second highlight. To match each mode, the cockpit will play a different sound wave. These music is not simply simulating the driving sound of fuel vehicles, but a richer sound effect created by music masters.
The third is the application of the exterior, body material, to create a colorable body.
Utilizing "e-ink" technology, which contains millions of transparent microcapsules, the diameter of only one hair. Each microcapsule contains a negatively charged white pigment, as well as a positively charged black pigment. By controlling the electrodes on both sides of the microcapsule, the desired color appears on the body surface. BMW manufactures different sizes of "electronic ink" according to the pattern and the curvature of the car surface, which is then fixed to the car, and finally achieves a key change of color through the change of electrodes.
Fourth, from the big screen, to the immersive big screen, to everything that can be screened, and then to the metaverse.
Whether it is the seamless 47.5-inch ultra-thin integrated screen of Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX or the triple screen of Sony's Vision S02 concept car, the large-screen design that brings consumers better audio and video and game entertainment experience has always been one of the interior designs respected by car companies.
At CES, Visteon showcased its TrueColor image enhancement technology, MicroZone display solutions, and more, with the goal of enabling the digital cockpit to carry a larger, more immersive, and reconfigurable interface at lower energy and cost.
But is the big screen the endgame?
The ShyTech interior technology displayed by Continental, with the blessing of flexible invisible technology, is composed of flexible transparent films to form an adaptive invisible screen, which can be easily integrated with the interior design without being limited by the interior design.
In the past, wood, carbon fiber, leather or paint on the interior panels of vehicles could be used as screens, clearly displaying content and automatically adjusting in different light environments.
With the possibility of L4 or fully autonomous driving, the Cadillac InnerSpace Concept's immersive surround SMD LCD display further expands the digital space inside the car.
With the integration of augmented reality technology, virtual reality technology and automobile application scenarios, Hyundai Automobile has put forward bolder ideas.
The concept of "Metamobility" proposed by it believes that the application of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving will break the boundaries of future mobility, and various mobility modes such as cars and UAM (Urban Air Mobility) will become smart devices connecting the Metavalse (metacosm) platform.
Skateboard chassis exploration
Although some industry experts predict that the market time for skateboard chassis has not really come, there is already room and possibility for commercialization in some scenarios.
At CES, Hyundai launched its "Mobility of Things (MoT)" ecosystem, which aims to give everything mobility through robotics.
To achieve this, they have introduced plug & Drive modules (i.e. PnD modules), drive upgrade modules (DnL modules) and so on.
The PnD module is a mobile device that integrates in-wheel motors, steering, suspension, braking systems and environmental sensors. It is based on lidar and camera sensors, which can achieve intelligent steering, driving, braking, especially with continuous 360° rotation, free movement and other features.
PnD modules can be attached to any object, giving it mobility, from small tables to large containers, with no limitations. In addition, it has the advantage of being able to adjust the size and quantity freely. The user can reconfigure a specific space as needed, and even if the user does not have access to the space, the space can come to the user on its own.
Hyundai Automobile believes that the PnD module will be widely used in the form of PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle) to realize the last mile of personal travel and logistics and transportation in the form of PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle) and logistics and transportation.
Another demonstration of the skateboard chassis concept is Citroën.
Citroën unveiled the Skiate Mobility concept at CES, a citroën's next-generation mobility platform that can be moved by installing a "service pod" for various purposes on top of the skateboard mobility concept.
It is equipped with batteries, electric motors, radar and lidar and is set up for level 5 autonomous driving; it is equipped with PHC adaptive hydraulic stabilization technology and Goodyear "Eagle360" spherical tires; and the top speed is limited to 25 km/h.
The Skate Mobility Concept is designed for open source, and anyone can develop service capsules for various service areas by following Citroën's dedicated technical interface.
At CES, Citroën showcased service cabins with three skateboard mobility concepts, Sofitel En Voyage, Pullman Power Fitness and JCDecaux City Provider.
Among them, Sofitel En Voyage creates a luxury service cabin for 2 to 3 people, which is suitable for customers staying at Sofitel, the top hotel chain of Accor Hotel Group in France. Customers can experience extraordinary hospitality in the service cabin when they stay in the hotel and when they travel to the city.
Pullman Power Fitness creates avant-garde spaces with foam-covered dimmable glass that combines the elements of movement, music and lighting to provide a unique experience. It can also be used for workouts through digital coaching, and the kinetic energy gained through in-car training is used to charge the Skate Mobility Concept's battery.
JC Decaux City Provider is an extension of existing public transport and is a mobility proposed as a mode of urban transport. In an interior space for up to five people, the moving lines are displayed via a USB port for charging and two screens.
Autonomous driving towards L4
Although regulations still have restrictions on higher levels of autonomous driving, at CES, major suppliers have demonstrated sufficient technical reserves and confidence.
Volvo announced at CES that it has partnered with lidar company Luminar to launch a new pure electric flagship SUV in the second half of 2022, and will take the lead in introducing an unregulated highly automated driving function - Ride Pilot to users in California.
The SUV comes standard with Luminar's lidar in terms of sensors, as well as 5 radars, 8 cameras and 16 ultrasonic sensors, and the system supports remote online upgrades to ensure adequate safety redundancy.
With Ride Pilot enabled, owners can free themselves from the burden of driving and have time to read, write, work, socialise, and leave the rest to Volvo's cars.
Extreme Krypton Also announced during CES that it has deepened its cooperation with Mobileye to build a consumer-grade autonomous vehicle with L4 autonomous driving capabilities based on the SEA Haohan architecture.
The car will be equipped with six EyeQ 5 System Integration Chips (SoCs) and will also deploy Mobileye's roadmap data, which is expected to be the first to be launched in China as early as 2024.
Similarly, Baidu and Jidu also jointly announced at CES that Jidu's first mass production model will be equipped with NVIDIA DRIVE Orin SoC (System-on-Chip), the concept version of Jidu's first model will be officially unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2022, and the mass-produced model is expected to be launched in 2023 and will become an automotive robot with L4 level autonomous driving capabilities.
More and more car companies have joined the chase of L4 level autonomous driving products, in which in addition to the continuous enhancement of the computing power of chips, the ability of lidar, radar, cameras and other sensing equipment suppliers has improved, as well as the in-depth cooperation between suppliers and vehicle companies in the automatic driving system.
Aptiv is helping radar learn through artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to improve radar performance and enable it to identify objects with greater accuracy, while requiring only a small amount of data to better understand the environment around the vehicle.
Continental and its partner Aeye are launching the HRL131 long-range lidar, a precision sensing technology that is one of the key factors in enabling future autonomous driving.
The HRL131 is an adaptive LIDAR based on MEMS for Level 3 and Level 4 assist and autonomous driving solutions. High-performance LiDAR technology combines high dynamic spatial resolution with remote sensing to enable critical functions in passenger and commercial vehicle applications.
ZF also showcased their developed coPILOT system that can be expanded to L4 levels, which will be launched in cooperation with VinFast, a new driver of Vietnamese car manufacturing.
Software-defined cars
The future of automotive competition will be competition for software capabilities.
To this end, at CES, Bosch placed special emphasis on the strategy of focusing on software research and development in the field of mobility.
Of the 4 billion euros that Bosch invests each year to enhance its software capabilities, around 3 billion euros is invested in mobility.
In order to lead the mobility market of the future of software-defined vehicles, Bosch plans to integrate the R&D activities of independent applications into the same R&D department in mid-2022. In the future, ETAS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bosch, will develop and sell the basic software, middleware, cloud services, and R&D tools of Automotive General.
Continental also showcased how software based on the Continental Automotive Edge Framework and its IT infrastructure will enable new capabilities and innovate future mobility.
This modular hardware and software platform connects vehicles to the cloud and provides multiple options for developing, supplying, and maintaining software-intensive system functions. This allows the driver to combine the required functions with quick and easy software updates throughout the vehicle's useful life.
Aptiv is transforming from technology, service platforms and product delivery methods to software-defined vehicles.
At CES, they unveiled core technology advances for Intelligent Vehicle Architecture (SVA), Power Data Centers (PowerData Centers, PDCs) and Central Vehicle Controllers (CVC).
PDC extracts the inputs/outputs (I/O) of sensors and actuators around the vehicle from the computing power (OSP, CVC, etc.) responsible for processing. In addition, it significantly simplifies hardware interchangeability by eliminating the reliance of the device layer on the compute layer through a standardized, service-based API.
CVC connects various devices in the vehicle in real time, handles the ordering and information scheduling of network traffic, and integrates all functions such as power and body controllers, driver and chassis controllers, data network routers, gateways, firewalls, regional master controllers and data storage centers.
The implementation of these functions will help car companies in a new generation of service-centric architecture, car functions are no longer presented in hardware, but in the form of services, support OTA and customer subscriptions, and constantly through more simplified development to achieve the function superposition of vehicles and the needs of thousands of people in front of the experience.
At the same time, Aptiv has also launched a new development method of "continuous delivery", with its full understanding of software and automotive language, as a bridge connecting software and automobiles, through continuous integration development methods, to help automakers and technology companies achieve deep integration of software functions and hardware of automobiles.
At CES, Stellantis also announced a deep cooperation with Amazon on software development.
The STLA Brain platform and STLA Smart Cockpit for the Chrysler Airflow Concept will go into production in 2024, and Amazon will be involved in the technology of infotainment systems.
The infotainment system, which will be integrated with Amazon's smart home and security technologies, can monitor real-time video from each screen of the vehicle or manage the vehicle using devices that support Amazon's subsidiary Alexa.
To support these initiatives, Stellantis will use Amazon Web Services as its preferred vehicle platform cloud provider, and they will also create a software product development environment called Virtual Engineering Workbench, which will include tools for machine learning model training as well as data collection and analysis, among others.
Innovative Chinese elements
Although there is an epidemic barrier, China is still indispensable on CES.
At CES 2022, in addition to the two vehicle brands already mentioned earlier, JiKr and Jidu, there are 5 supply chain companies that have demonstrated their technologies or signed cooperation projects, namely Three Musketeer Suteng Juchuang, Hesai Technology and Tudtong in the field of lidar, as well as two intelligent cockpit and Vehicle Networking suppliers Desay SV and Shanghai Botai.
RoboSense, which has participated in CES for 6 consecutive years, has rated its RS-LiDAR-M1 as two consecutive innovation award winners in 2019 and 2020.
At CES 2022, they brought the new 128-line mechanical lidar RS-Ruby Plus, the world premiere.
RS-Ruby Plus has a longer detection distance and higher detection accuracy, the diameter has also been reduced from 166 mm to 125 mm, the height has been reduced from 148.5 mm to 125 mm, the volume and overall weight have been reduced by more than 50%, and the power consumption has been reduced from 45W to 27W.
At the same time, its new generation of customized 32-line lidar RS-Helios-5515 also made its overseas debut.
This Alibaba intelligent robot "Little Wild Donkey" with the same customized radar, through a unique harness arrangement design, on the basis of 70 ° super vertical field of view to achieve a downward dive of 55 °, greatly reducing the near field blind area, so that forward perception and near field blindness in one step.
For the first time, HesecZeji exhibited the automotive-grade semi-solid-state lidar AT128 equipped with a new generation of self-developed chips, and released the new close-range ultra-wide-angle lidar QT128.
At present, Hesai AT128 has obtained more than millions of OEMs around the world, including ideal, jidu, gaohe, lotus, and will be fully mass-produced in the second half of this year.
The QT128, a blindfolded radar for autonomous driving applications such as L4-level robotaxi and robottruck, will be delivered in mass production in the first quarter of 2023.
Tutton Innovusion showcased its upcoming production of the image-grade ultra-long-range lidar Falcon in NIO ET7, which is scheduled to be officially delivered in the first quarter of this year.
At the same time, Tutton's first image-level short- and medium-range lidar Robin made its world debut using cutting-edge electronic and optical technology, which can be integrated into the vehicle's wing panels, headlights, taillights or bumpers, and its height is only 35 mm, and its new combination with the Falcon will also establish a more effective safety and performance guarantee for the all-round perception of the vehicle's perimeter.
Desay SV and Qualcomm Technologies announced that they will jointly build a Desay SV 4th Generation Intelligent Cockpit System based on the leading computing, AI, graphic images and multimedia performance of the 4th Generation Snapdragon Cockpit Platform, integrating multiple dimensions such as visual perception, speech perception and interactive behavior to achieve an intelligent and scenario-based multimodal fusion experience.
PATEO and BlackBerry have reached a strategic partnership to deploy advanced solutions for China's smart cockpit market using BlackBerry QNX technology and PATEO's cockpit integration core technology. BlackBerry IVY will be integrated into PATEO's Smart Cockpit solution to deliver a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) solution.