From AI assistants to holographic displays, automakers showcase in-cabin experiences at CES

[January 09, 2025]  By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Interior lighting aimed at reducing motion sickness. Shiny holographic dashboards displayed on windshields. And AI-powered voice assistants paired with infotainment systems to keep you company on long drives.

Automakers pulled out all the stops to showcase their latest advances for in-vehicle experiences at CES, the Consumer Technology Association’s annual trade show of all things tech, in Las Vegas this week. Hyundai Mobis unveiled a full-windshield holographic technology, while BMW spotlighted its new “iDrive” panoramic display. And Honda and Sony Honda Mobility showed what consumers can expect with their upcoming electric vehicles.

Many of these driving enhancements aim to “make life on board more comfortable,” explains Axel Maschka, executive vice president and head of the business division at Hyundai Mobis. And for some consumers today, he adds, “this ‘living space’" of a car's interior has become a dominant part of a vehicle's appeal.

Hyundai Mobis' holographic windshield display provides a glimpse into that. The technology, which won't be on the market for at least several more years, projects information ranging from driving speed to safety alerts across the entire windshield, and also provides some entertainment options for those who aren’t behind the wheel. To keep the driver's eyes on the road, the panoramic display looks different depending on where you sit. A demo from the South Korean company shows the front row passenger can watch a movie or play a video game projected ahead of them, for example, but it's not visible to the driver.

Maschka claims the holographic windshield gives drivers an easier view of key information in their line of sight and keeps other distractions in the car out of sight.

Car safety experts have long stressed that keeping drivers' eyes on the road is critical. Simplicity is also key, says Ian Reagan, a senior research scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an education and research nonprofit. Too many visual display features can be overwhelming, he explains.

“Driver distraction is a big concern with visual displays in vehicles,” said Reagan, who cautions that safety “doesn't always win out” over what some companies determine is going to be “sexy and sell” for consumers. Still, Reagan says he's encouraged by recent developments in panoramic displays that aim to keep key, minimal information in a car's line of sight.

Beyond Hyundai Mobis, that's part of what BMW, which showed off its new Panoramic iDrive and Operating System X, also says it's trying to do. The system, which will be integrated into of new models starting later this year, projects a panoramic display onto the vehicles' lower windscreen.

The technology offers a range of digital features and can be personalized by different colors, apps and other preferences. But in the driver's line of sight, Stephan Durach, BMW’s Head of UI/UX Development, said the goal was to avoid redundancies.

“You often hear the phrase, ‘your car is your smartphone on wheels.’ And to be honest, I don’t like this at all,” Durach told The Associated Press. He said that the display aims to show a minimal amount of the most important information above the dashboard, in efforts to help reduce distractions.

Honda and Sony Honda Mobility also spotlighted in-cabin features that drivers will soon encounter in their new EV lineup.

The Honda 0 SUV, right, and Honda 0 Saloon EV prototypes are on display at the Honda booth during the CES tech show Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Sony Honda Mobility says “Afeela 1" will include an interactive AI-powered voice agent. In Monday's remarks, CEO Yasuhide Mizuno said that “customers can be entertained by communicating with Afeela 1” — noting that Afeela's agent is “focused on conversation” and “proactively talks to you” to provide useful information as you drive.

The Afeela 1, scheduled to go on sale later this year with deliveries anticipated for mid-2026, also touts a panoramic screen and infotainment system filled with a variety of entertainment apps. Online reservations for the car opened in California this week.

Meanwhile, Honda spotlighted “ultra-personal optimization” for customers of its upcoming 0 series of election vehicles — the first two models of which are set to launch in North America next year. The Japanese car giant unveiled the operating system that it plans to use in all 0 series models, “AISMO OS,” which it says will be integrated into vehicle operations ranging from automated driving and advanced driver assistance to in-car infotainment.

In-vehicle software functions will also continue to be updated after purchase. “The more it is used, the more personalized it will become,” Katsushi Inoue, global head of electrification business development at Honda, said in Tuesday remarks.

While there's ample excitement around the latest bells and whistles announced from car companies like those on display at CES this week, questions still emerge about the safety and efficacy of new features.

Reagan points to both AI-powered voice agents and the growing buzz around partial automated driving. He says his team's research shows that people interacting with partially-automated driving are “more distracted than ever” because drivers have to “always be ready” for changes in vehicle assistance.

And while AI voice assistants bring promising solutions to keeping drivers' eyes on the road, Reagan notes that they're not all built equally. How they are implemented is key, he said, noting that if a voice assistant requires too much back and forth or complicated answers it can also lead to frustration and distraction.

Beyond in-vehicle experiences, EVs showcased at CES this week also put a spotlight on the state of sustainable energy in the car industry today — and the need to expand access sources for consumers. In addition to a previously-announced venture with seven other automakers to create the “IONNA” charging network in North America, Honda on Tuesday said it plans to expand such efforts “to ensure that Honda 0 Series owners will have access to more than 100,000 charging stations by 2030.”

Honda is also exploring ways to provide “personalized” charging experiences for its EV customers down the road. The company said it's considering incorporating AI technology from Amazon Web Services to help individuals find nearby charging facilities, for example, or simplify payments.
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AP Video Journalist Cassandra Allwood contributed to this report in Las Vegas.

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