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The 2025 CES expo showed that automotive might be the most dynamic sector in consumer electronics. So let’s review the big developments in voice control, genAI, biometrics, LiDAR and more…

The idea that 'cars will become software’ was first proposed many years ago. Will they? Well, not completely. Cars will always need seats and wheels! But it’s also true that the ‘hardware’ of a vehicle is becoming less important than the in-car experience. 

This thinking is behind the rise of the software defined vehicle (SDV) ‘whose features are primarily enabled through software, electrification, automation and connectivity.’

A number of technological advances are supporting this transition. They include artificial intelligence and machine learning (for autonomous driving), high speed 5G data transfer, blockchain-based security, renewable energy sources and smart grids (to power electric vehicles).

Combined together, these advances are helping manufacturers to re-think…

•    How cars are made
•    What cars can do
•    How drivers control their vehicles

For evidence, look no further than CES 2025. This giant trade show (175,000 visitors this year) is the world’s showcase for consumer electronics products. Historically, it was the place to see TVs, washing machines and games consoles. It still is. 

But in recent years, the bigger story has been the SDV.

Indeed, in 2025, there were so many major announcements that one headline read: CES 2025: How autos stole the show.

So let's take a look the big stories…
 

The in-car experience

There's an explosion of features inside cars now – for entertainment, information, mapping, maintenance and more. So the question is: how can motorists use them without distracting from their driving?

Voice

Voice control is a leading contender. The tech is already well-established. But new ideas are emerging. For example, at CES SoundHound (originally a music recognition tech) unveiled the first ever in-vehicle voice commerce platform. It allows drivers to use a voice command to order take-out directly from the car’s infotainment system.

Needless to say, GenAI is now an important factor in voice control systems. Car makers are embracing the idea of the in-car AI assistant – a bot that drivers can talk to in natural language about anything. 

At the show, Mercedes-Benz announced it had added ChatGPT as a free update for the three million vehicles using its voice-controlled MBUX infotainment system. 

Meanwhile, HERE said its new HERE AI Assistant will use the map as the start point for helping drivers with everyday tasks. And then there was Sony Honda Mobility. Its new Afeela 1 vehicle range will include an interactive AI-powered voice agent. 

Biometrics

Voice is just one biometric that can improve the driving experience, and make motorists more safe. There are others. At the expo, Continental previewed a new Invisible Biometrics Sensing Display. It uses a near-infrared camera to monitor a driver’s heart rate and other vital signs. Continental also previewed a car that can recognise its owner from a distance

LG’s Affectionate Intelligence technology has similar properties. It uses heart rate monitoring and facial expression recognition to detect a user’s physical health and emotional state. It can notify the driver if they become distracted or drowsy.

Touchscreens

The touch-enabled in-car display is another big focus for manufacturers. The 'dumb' windshield is disappearing. It's being augmented by digital screens and augmented reality add-ons.

At CES, Valeo showed off a 'panovision' that reflects a full screen along the base of the windshield. Meanwhile BMW’s debuted an in-cabin digital interface, dubbed Panoramic iDrive. It has a digital display at the base of the windshield spanning the entire dashboard. 

And then there was Hyundai's Holographic Windshield Display. It projects hi-def information such as driving data, navigation and music playlists onto the lower portion of the windshield. From the outside, the screen looks like a regular glass window.

Sensing, connectivity and security

It’s understandable that the driver experience might grab the headlines at a consumer show. But there were also big announcements concerning vehicle sensing, connectivity and security. These are significant areas, accelerating the switch to a future of connected, autonomous, electric motoring.

Sensing

LiDAR technology is important factor in the development of connected cars. It uses lasers to determining the range of other vehicles, pedestrians and roadside objects. At CES, Hesai Group unveiled 'world’s highest-channel automotive LiDAR', AT1440, with 30x the resolution of standard LiDARs. Meanwhile Robosense introduced its new EM4 tech – the world's first LiDAR with more than 1,000 channels. It can detect a 25cm black cardboard box from 250 metres.

Connectivity

Virtually every new advance in SDVs depends of consistent and stable connectivity. For vehicles in fast motion, this is a challenge. At CES, French company Stellar demonstrated its GLOBBLE device. It switches seamlessly between cellular, wi-fi and satellite networks to keep the connection fast and reliable. 

Security 

The emergence of the SDV brings with it a security threat. Hackers can use various entry points (even the entertainment system) to access a car’s software and controls. 

To avoid this, cars must be secured. How? The industry now recognises that a ‘security by design’ approach can protect the all facets of the SDV – the device, the application, the network, and the data. And manufacturers are converging around public key infrastructure as a key tech in this battle. PKI defines how hardware, software and people interact with public encryption keys in order to authenticate themselves and exchange data.

At CES 2025, stakeholders discussed these ideas in a series of conference sessions.

Self driving cars

All the tech discussed above is contributing to the dream of entirely autonomous vehicles. The truth is, they are still a rarity on the roads. But a few companies exhibited new models at the expo. For example May Mobility, Waymo and Zoox all showed off new robotaxis. 

 

CES 25 proved that we are living through a time of huge change in automotive. Biometrics, genAI-powered assistants, interactive displays and more are transforming the driving experience – all supported by fast and reliable connectivity. 

As these innovations continue, they will make it safer – and more fun – than ever to get from A to B. 

 

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