NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang unveiled Cosmos, a foundational AI model platform. As STEER Tech’s Anuja Sonalker describes Cosmos, “It has the potential to become what Chatgpt is for the non-physical world!”
Consumer Technology Association (CTA)/CES
Vehicles are computers on wheels. While the phrase has existed for three decades, the annual January pilgrimage to CES in Las Vegas reemphasizes this truth.
Yet CES is an imperfect crystal ball for predicting the most important emerging technologies in the automotive world or any other industry. Splashy product launches don’t always equate to meaningful influence in our daily lives — what happened to 3D televisions and refrigerators that could order groceries?
While the path of technological integration is never perfect, some CES launches from years ago were originally viewed as failures but found their footing later as technologies and markets evolved. Think tablet computers, smartwatches, and early electric vehicle models.
With this in mind, Automotive Fleet contacted fleet, technology, and automotive industry professionals to get their hot takes from the show floor at CES 2025.
Each saw the show through a different lens. Taken together, their varying opinions offer a big-picture direction for the technologies that will have the most significant impacts on the automotive and fleet industries.
With many responses, we’ve divided the perspectives into two articles. Here’s Part 1.
Anuja Sonalker, Founder & CEO of STEER Tech
Vehicle tech at CES 2025 was arguably the best lineup after COVID-19. There was a strong emphasis on visual experiences, massive, rich in-vehicle displays, and comfort features.
Several Tier 1 companies exhibited ADAS, AV (autonomous vehicle) stacks, and AI-enabled development frameworks. Nvidia stood the tallest with Cosmos, an open-source model for simulating the physical world and their ever-expanding ecosystem of partner companies.
I think Cosmos is a game changer because it has the potential to become what Chatgpt is for the non-physical world! We don’t know how trustworthy those world models are at this point, but Cosmos truly has massive potential. If it rapidly iterates, learns, and adaptively enhances itself, then it can become the “cosmos” of the physical world.
Beyond vehicle mobility, robotics and AI stole the show. The large international pavilion stood out for its strong offerings in AI and computer vision, which enabled not only automotive but also health, education, special ed, and personal robotics.
Amazon Smart Vehicles offered vehicle buying experience tech, custom Alexa-enabled features, AWS-backed partners, and AI-enabled toolchains. AI-enabled data analytics, development, and testing tools were omnipresent among many Tier-1 and Tier2 companies. None particularly stood out by themselves, but the multitude of offerings signaled how much of a transformation-enabler GenAI has become in such a short time.
Beyond tech, the AV Industry Association, a private consortium of AV companies, released their automated driving system safety framework as a natural successor to the Federal Framework for Automated Driving System Safety launched in 2020.
AUO (AU Optronics Corporation) created show floor buzz with its Smart Cockpit 2025 concept, which uses Micro LED display technologies to create immersive visuals, extended reality interactions, and human-machine interfaces for drivers and passengers.
Roan Oropesa, Strategic Business Development Director, Enterprise Fleet Management
This year’s CES showcased the future of mobility, not just in the automotive world, but also in other areas. The sheer number of players in the industry was impressive, including many non-traditional OEMs that showcased their cars and technologies.
A key theme of the show was the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology. AI was also a significant focus, with almost every company incorporating AI into their innovations, showing its potential to enhance the driver and consumer experience. Voice assistants, in particular, stood out with the potential to increase safety, especially for drivers.
It was interesting to hear firsthand how companies intend to leverage vehicle data and further build from it.
The other significant theme at CES was the user experience and how drivers will interact with vehicles in the future. Regarding the adoption of EVs, there was some attention but not as much as expected. A compelling statement I heard was that battery chemistries and speed to charge will be the leverage point for adoption ahead of charger availability.
Rob Minton, associate vice president of connected car business development, Geotab
The common theme at CES 2025 was AI and autonomy. AI is becoming more prevalent in both software and hardware. Here are five cool things I saw at this year’s CES, in no particular order.
Geely’s premium EV-brand Zeekr brought three vehicles, including its electric minivan Mix, which can be spec’d for a top range of 434 miles. Are tariffs supposed to hold China out of the U.S. market?
- TPMS Ball Sensor by CUB: This is a round, black plastic ball, a little smaller than a ping-pong ball. To install it, you deflate the tire, insert the ball between the tire bead and rim, and inflate the tire. There is no need to remove the tire from the wheel. It monitors tire pressure and temperature. The sensors are motion-activated and will go into sleep mode when the wheels stop moving to preserve sensor battery life. It uses BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) to transmit sensor data.
- Oshkosh CAMS: The Oshkosh Collision Avoidance Mitigation System (CAMS) is designed for fire, emergency, and law enforcement vehicles to prevent dangerous collisions. CAMS addresses the unique challenges of first responders and roadside assistance workers. It uses advanced cameras, AI, autonomous driving sensors, and radar to detect the trajectory, speed, and proximity of oncoming traffic relative to parked emergency vehicles. CAMS can give responders two to three seconds of advance notice of an oncoming collision — two to three lifesaving seconds.
- Hyundai Holographic Windshield: I think this is the world’s first full windshield holographic display. It was demoed on a Kia EV9 for CES, transforming the front glass into a transparent screen. The kicker? There are no additional display devices needed to project the visuals onto the windshield. Essential information like driving speed, navigation, and music playlists is projected onto the lower portion of the windshield. Hyundai Mobis uses a specialized film embedded with a Holographic Optical Element (HOE) which uses light diffraction to project images directly to the viewer’s eyes. Just a little more sophisticated than the very first heads-up display (HUD) in the 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme!
- Flitescooter by Flite: Imagine a paddleboard with handlebars for balance and control, but it has an electric motor that allows you to hover above the water as you move. It’s a take on foiling, a water sport where you ride a board with a hydrofoil that lifts you above the water. The hydrofoil’s wings create lift, similar to an airplane wing. But with Flitescooter you don’t need waves or wind.
- Lymow Robot Mower: OK, robot mowers are not new. But the Lymow unit at CES is the first mower to mulch leaves and other debris. No more raking in the fall! The mulching blades are strong enough to cut grass and mulch debris like leaves, fruit, pinecones, and small branches. Plus, instead of round wheels, it has a tank-style tread that allows it to traverse rough, uneven terrain. It features boundary-wire-free navigation, meaning it’ll navigate your yard without setting manual boundaries.
Angelina Grossi, Senior Manager, Enterprise Sales, Rivian
As a first-time attendee to CES, I was impressed by the range of new vehicle technologies and advanced robotics on display. The Xpeng two-person flying drone, with its ability to be packed into a truck, was especially memorable.
From an overall fleet perspective, it was exciting to see a broader focus on autonomous vehicles and EVs, with various use cases presented. Some examples included autonomous robotaxis from Zoox, an autonomous fleet offering from John Deere, and various new EVs ranging anywhere in vehicle class from a Porsche race car to refuse collection trucks from Oshkosh Corp.
Additionally, the sessions emphasized the importance of connected architecture, connected cars, AI, and infotainment improvements. This is particularly valuable to consumers and commercial customers because it highlights the opportunities for enhancing the customer experience throughout the vehicle’s lifespan.
Autonomy has an immediate future in specific vocations such as agriculture. John Deere unveiled two driverless tractors, a dump truck, and an electric mower at CES 2025.
Consumer Technology Association (CTA)/CES
Jim Brady, VP, Business Development and Partnerships, Viaduct
CES 2025 did not disappoint, especially from a fleet perspective.
While the OEMs had their usual large presence, including many Chinese OEMs, fleet-related exhibitors, and attendees were in full force on the show floor. It didn’t surprise me to see a healthy group of telematics and telecom companies (Geotab, AT&T, British Telecom) in attendance, but what impressed me was to see traditional maintenance suppliers (Sumitomo Rubber, Bosch, Clarios) expand their digital product offerings with fleet related maintenance optimization solutions.
In my conversation with OEMs and mega fleets, the main focus of CES was finding innovative AI solutions that can be easily integrated into their daily processes to deliver operational efficiencies and cost reductions.
Stay tuned for Part 2!
