1. 14| 2015 international CES DAily | January 7, 2015
cesweb.org #ces2015
BY JAMIE SORCHER
LAS VEGAS With 10 automakers at this year’s International
CES, the largest presence to date, cars have moved from
the sidelines to the forefront of the show.
During a round of press events and panels held on
press and opening day, car companies showed off new
technologies from hydrogen fuel cell cars to piloted cars to
vehicles that are operated by gesture control.
Dr. Michio Kaku, a scientist and futurist who was on
hand for Toyota, hailed the company’s introduction of the
world’s first hydrogen fuel cell car as a turning point in
automotive history. “We are present at the creation of the
new age of hydrogen,” he said.
Many think of hydrogen vehicles for use on the golf
course or to go to the grocery store, noted Kaku, and he
acknowledged that many critics have long shaken their
heads at hydrogen. That is about to change, he said.
Bob Carter, automotive operations senior VP for Toyota
Motor Sales USA, officially announced the 2016 Mirai, a
word that means future in Japanese. It makes its debut in
the U.S. in October.
In an effort to spread the gospel, Toyota’s 5,680
hydrogen fuel cell related global patents, said Carter,
will be granted royalty free from now until 2020 to
carmakers and their parts suppliers. The 70 patents
covering fuel production and supply are royalty-free for
an unlimited time.
Volkswagen’s packed event hailed the Golf R Touch
concept vehicle with its gesture control system and
three displays (a 12.8-inch main screen, 8-inch screen
control center, and 12.3-inch active information display
that replaces the traditional instrument cluster).
Gesture control where a camera converts gestures into
commands is on the horizon, said Volkswagen’s Dr.
Jakob Neusser, head of powertrain development. “We are
replacing buttons and rotary switches — it follows our
philosophy ‘make it simple.’”
Audi kicked off its press conference on opening day by
hailing its fifth anniversary at CES. The automaker was
the pioneer car company to come to this event. “I look
around now and see many have followed us,” said Scott
Keogh, president of Audi America. The company debuted
its modular infotainment concept in 2011, connectivity in
the car in 2012, matrix lighting technology in 2013 and the
virtual cockpit and the Audi TT piloted vehicle last year.
This year the company had its A7 Piloted Driving
prototype drive from Palo Alto, California, to the show here
in Las Vegas. Next, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s R&D chief
used an LG smartwatch to call the self-driving Audi Prologue
concept onto the stage. “It is a mobile key,” he said.
During the keynote address, “How Mobile Is
Fundamentally Changing Our World,” Philip M. Abram,
chief infotainment officer for General Motors, shared his
Cars Take Driver’s Seat At International CES
The Audi Prologue Concept was nagivated on stage by an LG smart watch.
Volkswagen’s Dr. Jakob Neusser
thoughts on what is next for the car. As for the product
cycle for technology to make its way into vehicles, the four-
to-seven year timeline is getting shorter, but bringing
technology into the car requires careful consideration. “We’re
never going to turn a car into a smartphone,” he said. “Its
a job is to take you and your family from here to there. It’s
a 3,500-pound device so thank goodness it takes time to
validate everything. We have to create the right layers to
innovate but maintain safety.”
As for Apple or Android in cars of the future, Abram said
it’s up to the consumer. “It’s not for us to decide,” he said.
“We are showing both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. We
just care that the customer’s phone works with our car. We
have the same head unit in our car — and you just plug
in whatever phone you want. We’re not going to move the
customer on that, but we’re going to accommodate them.”
Toyota’s Bob Carter