Every January the tone for the year in the tech world is set by the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas. The event took place between the 5th and 9th of January and is usually filled with gaming, wearables and virtual reality amongst other things. Automakers make a small appearance but majority of them save their big announcements for the NAIAS, North American International Auto Show, in Detroit. However, this year Hyundai, KIA, Ford and Toyota made a notable presence.
Toyota e-Palette
Toyota unveiled its autonomous e-commerce mobility platform called the e-Palette. e-Palette is Toyota’s on-demand autonomous vehicle solution for business applications, which will ultimately result in the formation of “on-demand cities”. In simpler words, Toyota wants to bring the store on wheels to you through self-driving mini-buses.
These self-driving mini-buses, filled with merchandise, will go to places where potential buyers can select/try on items. How intriguing!
The e-Palette bus will be fully electric and powered by Toyota’s autonomous technology. But also, partner companies will be able to make use of their own automotive driving system, if they so choose.
In the mindset of its creators, the e-Palette could facilitate on-demand use for a different retail experience, personal shopping, markets, showrooms, and even office sharing for those travelling to and from work. And broadening horizons into another industry, it could even be used for on-demand meal deliveries.
Toyota president Akio Toyoda said the company has created an alliance of business partners. The e-Palette Alliance is there to support e-commerce mobility, turning its mobility services platform into a common platform. Members already part of the alliance include Amazon, DiDi, Mazda, Pizza Hut, and Uber.
Aside from this, Toyota is aiming at making more than 10 battery electric vehicles available by 2020. By 2025, the Japanese automaker plans to have every model in the Toyota line be either electric or have electrified options. In addition, they are currently working on extending its battery technology from lithium-ion to an all-solid-state battery.
Lyft autonomous car
Lyft is one of Uber’s biggest competitors in the ride-sharing industry. It made use of the CES to demonstrate its latest developments in self-driving technology. The company is in partnership with Aptiv, formerly known as Delphi, a self-driving and connected car tech company.
Lyft and Aptiv brought 8 cars to the Las Vegas CES show which attendees could make use of through the Lyft app.
The APTIV-Lyft vehicle with autonomous technology drives on the strip in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The cars they made use of were new and based on a BMW 5-Series. It was fitted with the Velodyne LIDAR which was mounted at the front of the car instead of on top. In addition, it had a front-facing LiDAR on the side mirrors and two retractable radar sensor mounts on each side of the car.
Aptiv CTO Glen DeVos explained that it makes use of more sensors than ever before. This comes in efforts of moving toward being production-ready. DeVos also mentioned the car was in communication with Las Vegas’s connected traffic lights which the city helped facilitate. They wish to continue testing this after the show and “potentially open up access to the general public for extended testing.”
Byton launches at CES
Byton is a small start-up and the newest in the electric car segment. It used the CES to showcase a concept vehicle. A sleek SUV filled with smart technology and high-end specs made its debut. Byton will be launching in China next year. It will then make its way to the U.S. and Europe by 2020. It has a starting price of $45,000 (around R560,500 – at the time of publishing).
On to the car, the most prominent feature is the giant dash screen that stretches all the way across. Byton calls this the Shared Experience Display. Like many companies who are aiming at making commuting feel like less of a chore, personalization is key. And the Shared Experience Display is part of that ideology. The company hopes to achieve an atmosphere where “time spent inside the car shouldn’t be much different than time spent outside the car.”
The car will also load settings when a driver enters the vehicle based on facial recognition. In addition, it will support gesture detection and voice control based on Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa. Byton also wanted their car to feel more like a digital lounge. Hence why its four key areas were health, communication, entertainment, and activities.
The debut of this car and brand at CES displays how automotive and tech companies, big and small, are racing to re-invent the car. Not only in terms of autonomous/ self-driving and safety features but also in the way that a car will have more intelligence and awareness to its users.
