Ford debuted its new autonomous test vehicle.
Ford showed off its next-generation Fusion hybrid autonomous vehicle, which will be used in Ford's test fleet. It features more processing power and new hardware, including improved lidar sensors with a sleek design that makes them less obvious.
Ford also officially announced that it was adding Alexa to its vehicles.
The integration will let Ford users with SYNC 3 access Alexa, Amazon's cloud-based voice service, inside the car to do things like check the weather, play audiobooks, add items to shopping lists, and even control Alexa enabled smart home devices.
For example, you could tell Alexa to set your smart thermometer to a certain temperature or turn on the lights at your house while you're driving. Ford will begin rolling out this feature in its vehicles with SYNC 3 this summer.
What's more, though, the automaker also announced that owners of some vehicles will be able to also use Alexa while at home to perform certain vehicle functions beginning later this month.
Owners of the Ford Focus Electric, Fusion Energi, and the C-MAX Energi will soon be able to use their Amazon Echo or Dot at home to do things like lock or start the car remotely by simply saying "Alexa, ask my FordMobile to lock my car," or "Alexa, ask my FordMobile to start my car."
BMW showed off its new HoloActive Touch system.
BMW debuted a new user interface concept for the interior of the car called the HoloActive Touch system at the show.
The system is a virtual "free floating" display that's controlled via finger gestures, not a touchscreen. The system is designed so that the user receives haptic feedback so that it feels like touching a button.
It's a little complicated, but basically the system uses sensors to detect where your finger is pointing and then a vent shoots air to that location to provide haptic feedback.
BMW also revealed a new interior concept for autonomous vehicles.
The concept dubbed the BMWi Inside Future showcases how BMW envisions its autonomous vehicles may look when they start to hit the market.
The interior includes a steering wheel that folds away when in autonomous mode, a massive display screen in the backseat for entertainment, and plenty of space for reclining.
The concept even has space for a bookshelf.
Mercedes had its all-electric SUV called the EQ on display and announced a partnership with Nvidia for an AI-powered car.
Mercedes first unveiled its Concept EQ at the Paris Motor Show in September. The company plans to launch a production version of the vehicle in 2019, but Mercedes claims the concept is a "close-to-production vehicle."
The EQ features a range of 310 miles per charge and a large 24-inch display that sprawls across the dashboard.
The German automaker also announced a partnership with chipmaker Nvidia to bring an AI-powered car to market by 2018. The companies will reveal more details about the vehicle later this year.
Mercedes also showed off its electric Vision Van built for deliveries.
In September, Mercedes unveiled its bizarre-looking delivery van dubbed the Vision Van, but it made its first US debut at CES.
The all-electric Vision Van has a number of high-tech features including a drone on top that automatically fetches and delivers packages, an automated cargo space that loads packages, and a telematics system that can share the status of a parcel with the distribution center.
It also has an all-electric range of 168 miles per charge.
The electric car startup Faraday Future revealed its first production car.
The LA-based startup showed off its first concept car at CES last year, but this year it unveiled its first production model, called the FF91.
The SUV features 130 kilowatt-hours of battery energy, the company said, and more than 378 miles of range. It has an open charging system, which means it’s compatible with any kind of EV charging station.
The company says the vehicle boasts 1,050 horsepower and can go from zero to 60 mph in just 2.39 seconds. That would be quicker than Tesla's Model S P100D, which can reach 60 mph in 2.4 seconds.
While the company did not reveal the price of the FF91, it did say production was expected to begin in 2018. Consumers can now make a priority reservation for the vehicle on Faraday's website for a deposit of $5,000.
Nissan announced a next generation Leaf is on the way and revealed that the company is using AI tech from NASA for its vehicles.
Nissan chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn confirmed that the company is working on its next generation Leaf. However, Ghosn did not share any details about a timeline, price, or range of the vehicle.
He did share details about the company's self-driving strategy, though.
During a press conference on Thursday Ghosn announced its new Seamless Autonomous Mobility (SAM) system, which is one part of Nissan's larger Intelligent Mobility system.
SAM uses NASA technology to determine if human intervention is necessary when the vehicle is autonomous mode.
For example, if the vehicle runs into a situation it does not comprehend, it will notify a command center where a human is ready to assist. The person at the command center would see what the car sees and direct the vehicle on how to proceed.
Toyota unveiled a concept car called Concept-i showcasing an artificial intelligence assistant named Yui.
Toyota's Concept-i doesn't get rid of the human driver. Instead, it focuses on assisting the driver to improve safety.
A built-in AI system called Yui is capable of reading human emotions so that it can learn about the driver and assist when necessary. For example, it can engage the driver in conversation when he or she is feeling tired or can perform tasks like turning on the radio so that the driver can focus on driving.
The Yui system was introduced by Gill Pratt, the CEO of the Toyota Research Institute. Pratt made clear that while fully autonomous driving is a worthwhile goal, it is still a long way off.
"I need to make it perfectly clear, [Level 5 is] a wonderful, wonderful goal. But none of us in the automobile or IT industries are close to achieving true Level 5 autonomy. We are not even close," Pratt said during a press conference at CES.
Fiat Chrysler revealed an electric minivan aimed at millennials.
FCA hosted its first-ever press conference at CES this year and unveiled an electric minivan concept aimed at millennials with families.
Dubbed the Portal, the minivan offers a glimpse of what Chrysler envisions for its electric, autonomous future.
The Portal features a 100 kWh battery pack that provides over 250 miles of range. It also has an ultra fast DC charger, which enables the vehicle to charge 150 miles in just 20 minutes.
What's more, the concept vehicle has built-in facial recognition technology so that it can identify who is riding in the vehicle and adjust to his or her personal preferences for music, lighting, temperature, and destinations.
It also has a passenger to passenger intercom system, a selfie camera for group selfies, and vehicle to vehicle (V2V) technology, which enables the car to communicate with other vehicles and infrastructure while driving.
The company also showed off its new hybrid Pacifica minivan. The new hybrid gets 30 miles of all-electric range and 530 miles of total range.
Hyundai had its new self-driving prototype on display.
Hyundai showcased an autonomous prototype of its electric Ioniq vehicle.
What's most notable about the prototype is that it looks just like a normal vehicle. Most fully autonomous vehicles have obvious sensors placed on top of and around the car. But Hyundai's self-driving prototype looks just like a regular Ioniq because the sensors are hidden.
Hyundai first introduced the autonomous Ioniq at the LA Auto Show in November, but the company had two of the vehicles at CES for media rides up and down the boulevards of Las Vegas.
Honda officially unveiled its concept vehicle called the NeuV, which is self-driving and aimed at ride-sharing.
Honda first announced its NeuV concept in December, but officially took the wraps off the vehicle at CES.
The two-seater vehicle is self-driving, electric, and is aimed at being used for ride-sharing.
Honda said that when the owner of the vehicle isn't using the car, it would drive around and pick up passengers so that it could generate revenue for the owner.