CES 2025: Five innovations for the future of cars - from Afeela to Zeekr
The Geneva Motor Show is practically history, the IAA has been a shadow of its former self since moving to Munich, and the Paris Motor Show is hardly more than a regional showcase of the local vehicle industry. Motor shows as showcases for engine builders, designers, and dynamic drivers seem to have outlived themselves.
Since screens have long been more important to many customers than batteries and the computing power of infotainment systems arouses more interest than engine power, the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas is increasingly becoming the new hub of the automotive world - actually a technology fair.
And even if German manufacturers, who consider themselves the mainstays of the horsepower industry, are unusually scarce this year and only BMW is making a big appearance in Las Vegas, Asian suppliers are showing more new cars than recently at the shows in Munich or Paris. These five novelties from the CES could shape the future of cars:
Afeela 1: It's not a Trick, it's a Sony – and a bit of a Honda
When driving becomes secondary, there is no longer a need for a vehicle manufacturer to build a car. This is what the Japanese entertainment giant Sony wants to prove at Las Vegas by unveiling the Afeela 1. It is set to launch in the US at prices starting from the equivalent of around 90,000 euros in the middle of next year before making its way around the world.
The manufacturer announced this at the show and also revealed plans for a second model, an SUV. The Japanese are focusing on groundbreaking entertainment by installing screens across the entire cockpit and in front of the rear seats. These are supposed to be better and larger than those of the competition and offer more content. Additionally, Sony aims to set new standards in autonomous driving, thanks to the cameras and sensors on the roof.
Apparently, it is not possible without some automotive expertise. For a good reason, Sony has brought Honda on board, contributing at least the powertrain with two motors delivering around 353 kW/480 hp and the battery with about 90 kWh for roughly 500 kilometers.
0 Series: Electric Restart at Honda
That Honda can find its way into the future without a partner is what the Japanese want to prove with the so-called 0-Series. It is meant to mark a fresh start in the electric car segment and will have more than half a dozen offshoots by the end of the decade. The first models are a sedan and an SUV, which were conceived as design studies last year and have now matured into pre-series models. Designed with hardly less revolutionary features, they are set to go into production without further changes, the manufacturer announced.
Both are about five meters long and sit on a new platform with similar key parameters as the Sony-Honda Afeela 1. They aim to drive more often, further, and better autonomously than the competition and scream for the future from every angle with their unconventional design. And the wait isn't too long: Honda is already taking pre-orders in the US and plans to deliver from the summer of 2026. Shortly thereafter, it will also start in Europe, Honda further announced.
Xpeng Aeroht: Taking off in style
Since things haven't quite worked out with the flying car yet, Xpeng is now taking an interim step towards the skies. To provide drivers with new perspectives and shortcuts, the Chinese have introduced the Aeroht and announced the start of series production for next year. For approximately 300,000 euros, there will initially be an offer in China—a pickup styled like Tesla's Cybertruck.
This carries a drone with two seats on its bed: It can be automatically unloaded at the push of a button within minutes and can then float through the skies for a few dozen kilometers. Electrically powered rotors take care of the propulsion, and their batteries are recharged while driving on the ground.
To achieve this, the aircraft carrier on wheels uses a hybrid engine with a gasoline engine, electric motor, and buffer battery, allowing for a range of up to 1,000 kilometers. The only catch to this literally lofty idea: Besides a Chinese passport, you need not only a driver's license but also a pilot's license for the Aeroht.
Zeekr Mix: A bit more clever
Compared to it, the VW ID.Buzz might seem almost boring and unimaginative. With the Mix, Geely's subsidiary Zeekr shows how to build a truly versatile van on an electric flatbed platform with battery variants for 500 and 700 kilometers. It is already available in China and is also planned for the European market.
The large MPV, about 4.70 meters long, not only combines a folding door for the driver with sliding doors for the front and rear passengers, eliminating the need for body pillars for easier access. Additionally, all seats are variable, adjustable, and rotatable, allowing for a face-to-face seating arrangement, among other configurations.
This will soon gain particular importance, at least in the USA: During the CES, Zeekr announced a specially equipped version that will be used as a robotaxi by Google's subsidiary Waymo. In that case, this seating arrangement will even work on the move.
BMW Panoramic iDrive: A New Perspective on the "New Class"
Though it will be nearly a year before BMW finally brings the much-vaunted "New Class" to the stage and shortly thereafter to the streets, the Bavarians are at least providing a first glimpse in Las Vegas of what, according to Development Chief Frank Weber, is the most important model in the company's recent history.
Amidst all the super TVs and digital gadgets of the smartphone generation, they have showcased the new control and infotainment system that will make its debut in the cars of the New Class and is then set to be installed quickly in all BMW models.
It is primarily based on a new panoramic projection, which transforms the lower fifth of the windshield into a screen across its entire width. Along with new menu buttons on the steering wheel, an expanded head-up display, and a horizontally oriented screen in front of the center console, it aims to ensure that hands will remain on the wheel more often and longer, and eyes on the road.
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