Used to be that a car's bragging rights had everything to do with horsepower. Now, it's computing power, as automakers vie for consumer dollars with the latest in tech gadgetry.
That pitched battle is in full view here at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show, where a record 10 automakers, from Audi to Volkswagen, strut their auto-tech stuff on 20% more floor space at the Las Vegas Convention Center than last year.
On display is automotive wizardry that runs from the practical to the futuristic, cars that react to hand gestures in the air and park themselves in garages.
"The continued growth of automotive at CES parallels the rapid evolution of in-vehicle technologies," says Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, which stages the show. "From connectivity to autonomous driving, consumers view in-vehicle technology as important in their buying decisions."
That wasn't always the case. Just how far cars have come at CES is captured in this anecdote from Ford CEO Mark Fields.
In 2007, he was asked to hop on stage at the annual tech gadget confab by Bill Gates, who was giving the keynote address. The occasion was Microsoft teaming with Ford to unveil Sync, the automaker's infotainment system.
"Right after, I did a few interviews and all the journalists asked the same thing, 'You make cars, so what are you doing here?'" Fields says with a laugh.
No one's asking that now. Fields gave the opening keynote Tuesday at CES, while Mercedes-Benz boss Dieter Zetsche packed the house the night before to unveil his company's self-driving prototype, the egg-like F 015 Luxury in Motion.
"In the past, we might have presented the F 015 at an auto show," says Mercedes' Herbert Kohler, who helped oversee development of the car. "But when you're talking about the mobility of the future, CES is the right place to be."
CEA reports that an estimated 30% of consumers own cars with some form of communications, safety or entertainment system, and predicts sales of factory-installed in-car tech to increase 3% to $11.3 billion this year.
The simplest way to break down the auto-tech innovations on display here is those inside the car, namely infotainment and car data displays, and those outside, namely safety-related sensors that on the grandest scale allow a car to drive itself.
In that first category, what CES makes plain is those old-school needles and dials that report our speed, engine temperature and other vital data will soon vanish. A number of tech companies that supply automakers, such as QNX and Qualcomm, showed off dashboards that consisted almost entirely of screens.
Audi showed up with its new TT Roadster that will feature the company's first Virtual Cockpit when it debuts this summer. By toggling through a range of options, the driver can change the dash from standard full gauges to minimized gauges with full map displays or entertainment options dominating the screen.
While such display flexibility does prompt questions about driver distraction, automakers stress that their mission is to use in-car tech to make driving safer.
"It's all about providing safety, convenience and efficiency for the people behind the wheel," says Audi of America President Scott Keogh. "It's about making things intuitive, and therefore simpler."
Another big theme was the tablet-ization of the automobile. With so many of us trained by our smartphones and tablets to tap and pinch our screens, automakers are busy adding that same functionality to their consoles.
Ford's new Sync 3 system, designed by QNX and in cars later this year, is typical of the trend, with simple app-like icons responding to touchscreen commands. Chrysler's top-of-the-line UConnect system will feature an 8.4-inch touchscreen, while Volvo's newest XC90 SUV will have a 9-inch touchscreen with enhanced voice control features. Just say "I am cold" and the car begins to warm.
Taking that notion one step further, some manufacturers are eager for cars to interpret a driver's hand gestures.
BMW showed off a small camera mounted in the headliner between the driver and passenger that scans for hand movements; simply poking a finger toward the console screen can turn it off, or making a clockwise circle will turn up the volume.
Mercedes loaded its F 015 with the same feature, which Kohler says "could very well find its way to our top cars soon."
What may still take a while to mature is the F 015's eye-tracking sensor. By simply looking at a spot on the dash where the radio would be turned on, the car realizes that's your intention and accomplishes the task for you.
If the F 015 represented the ultimate iteration of the sleek self-driving car of the future (its front seats swivel inward so passengers can chat en route), there was plenty of auto-tech that suggests a driver-assisted self-driving car is coming soon.
Clearly the technology exists to make cars sentient, namely by arming them with an array of radar, lasers and cameras. But what's far more likely than a full-on self-driving machine are cars that are packed with technology that allows for more of the chore of driving to be passed from driver to computer.
To prove as much, Audi stuffed a few journalists into a Q7 loaded with what it calls "piloted driving" gear, and they made the 500-mile journey unharmed from Silicon Valley to CES in time for the show with minimal driver intrusions.
"If you've experienced adaptive cruise control (which slows a car if it senses traffic ahead) then the move from there to piloted driving is seamless," says Audi's Director of Connected Vehicles Pom Malhotra, who adds that the hurdle for self-driving cars is less technological than regulatory.
"You may have vehicles that are OK to drive on their own in one state, but when they hit the state line they'll be programmed to shut off," he says, adding that Audi's flagship A8 should have the company's first pilot-assisted car by mid-2017.
So look out for the coming smart car. And when it arrives, it may be driving itself — alone.
BMW took over the top floor of the SLS Hotel and Casino garage to showcase its Remote Valet Parking Assistant. Loaded with sensors and a map of the garage, the little BMW i3 electric car calmly navigated the garage until it found a spot to slip into. A simple tap of a smartphone — and soon, smartwatch — is all it took to summon the car back to the driver.
Anyone who's ever courted frustration in a cavernous shopping mall garage knows the value of this piece of auto-tech innovation.
