Three New Car Tech Debuts From CES 2025 You Need to Know About
The 2025 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is in full swing. We’ve already covered Honda’s new electric prototypes and BMW’s next-gen Panoramic Drive system, but there’s a lot more to see and report about including some cutting-edge tech features and gadgets for today’s and tomorrow’s cars.
Here are three that we want to highlight. All of them are still concepts that have yet to earn the regulatory approvals for road use and green light for production.
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Side Windows Turned Into Customizable Displays
You’re probably familiar with head-up displays. Some automakers are working on more advanced versions that cover a larger portion of the windshield, but why stop there? At CES, Continental unveiled a compact, high-definition projector that displays information and content directly on electrochromic side windows.
This could be used for a number of things, like identifying rideshares, showing an EV's battery status or allowing a driver to display the logo of their favourite sports teams. With the eTravel.companion and AI, the car could even suggest content upon approach based on the location, time of day or the driver’s habits. Inevitably, some companies would also try and use the system to display ads—as if there weren’t enough already.
Dimmable Sun Visor Also Serving as a Display
It’s not the first time we hear about an automotive supplier reinventing sun visors. Bosch is one example. At CES, Gentex showed dimmable sun visors with transparent displays for presenting key alerts and notifications right in the driver’s field of vision.
That could be a nice alternative in vehicles that lack a conventional head-up display, don’t you think? On the passenger’s side, the possibilities are even greater as the visors could be used for entertainment.
Vehicle Interaction Taken to a Whole New Level
Harman, which is widely known for its Harman Kardon audio systems, has imagined a car that doesn’t just respond to your commands but also understands your needs, adapts to your preferences and “creates an environment that understands and uniquely engages with you.”
The key is “Luna,” an avatar powered by Harman’s Ready Engage “emotionally intelligent” AI system. Using machine learning, it personalizes interactions through voice and visuals (like augmented reality), fostering “a natural and intuitive bond between occupants and technology,” the company said. Meanwhile, the Ready Care in-cabin monitoring product takes empathy to the next level, using AI and neuroscience to monitor a driver’s cognitive and visual load as well as breathing rate to detect distraction or drowsiness.
Harman claims its suite can be ready for a vehicle launch in just six months, with updates taking only three. Now it just needs to find OEM partners to make it a reality in cars.
