CES(International Consumer Electronics Show)

CES, as the largest and most widely influential consumer electronics technology annual exhibition in the world, is an important display stage for various new technologies and new products.

With the combination of various innovative technologies and cars, the future of cars will be developed into intelligent mobile terminals, which is the general trend. Therefore, in recent years, CES has become the stage for major automakers and related companies of the industry chain to show off their technology. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is even better than the auto show. This article will share with you some new technologies and previews of new cars at CES 2022.

Volvo Concept Recharge

This is Volvo’s brand new concept car. Of course, the future mass production version will be based on a brand new platform. From the exterior proportion, you will not associate it with any existing Volvo, but it reveals a rich Scandinavian flavor with obvious but not high-profile edges.

As a future car, the Mjolnir hammer-shaped headlights are essential, but it incorporates updated technology, making its visual effect even more outstanding. Friends who are familiar with Volvo should be able to see that its taillights are also designed with the family style, but more slender.

Concept Recharge has an extremely long body, but it is not in a low posture on the ground, but rather like a crossover vehicle, with a high chassis and low body. Perhaps this form will become the norm for future electric vehicles. The high chassis ensures the layout of the battery, and the long body and the design of the wheels close to the four corners maximize the interior space.

Its central control console is evolved from the styling used by the current Volvo, with white as the main color, creating a simple and elegant interior atmosphere. Looking from the opened doors, you can see that its interior space is indeed very spacious.

Fiat 500 3+1Unlike the Volvo mentioned before, this Fiat 500 3+1 is not a concept car, but they both have the feature of having doors opening on both sides. The Fiat 500 3+1 replaces the passenger side door with a door on the opposite side, making it more convenient to get into the back seat and install a child seat without changing the wheelbase.

Personally, I really like this design, which is both practical and stylish. It is very suitable for various future small electric vehicle applications, but the cost is also much higher. As for power, the car is equipped with an electric motor with a maximum horsepower of 120 Ps, a battery capacity of 42 kWh, and a WLTP range of 199 miles (320 kilometers).

Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX Concept Car

Its single-range mileage can exceed 1000 km, which is an exaggerating number, but the key point is that Mercedes-Benz has demonstrated on it that improving powertrain efficiency, increasing energy density, and improving aerodynamic performance are the ways to improve range extension, rather than simply stacking batteries.

From its “Long tail” shape, we can see that it is an aerodynamic monster with a drag coefficient as low as 0.17. In addition, its tires not only have low rolling resistance, but even the tire wall has been aerodynamically optimized, which shows how fastidious the car manufacturer is about the car design. However, I feel personally that it is too much for a mass-produced vehicle designed for common use. The elongated rear is too hard to park, even though it has a lower drag coefficient.

As mentioned before, VISION EQXX is not simply a matter of stacking large batteries. Its battery pack has nearly 100 kWh of energy, but compared with the battery pack of the new electric flagship EQS, its size is reduced by 50%, weight reduced by 30%, energy consumption is below 10 kWh/100km and its range is over 1000 km, with an energy efficiency of 95%. It’s worth mentioning that the ultra-thin solar panel on the roof can provide an additional range of 25 km for the battery system.

In summary, efficiency comes first.# About the VISION EQXX

There are many interesting points about the VISION EQXX. You can click on our previous article “Range 1000 km+, Is this what Mercedes-Benz’s future looks like?” to review.

BMW E-ink Technology

Many people have probably fantasized about making their cars change colors at will. Now BMW has made it possible. The iX in front of you turns black, white, and black and white like magic.

So how does it work? By using electronic ink. Electronic ink is not paint, but millions of transparent microcapsules are covered on the car body. Each microcapsule contains white pigment with negative charge and black pigment with positive charge. By controlling the electrodes on both sides of the microcapsule, the required color can be produced on the car body surface. The principle is similar to the electric control dimming glass commonly used in offices or hotels, which can be instantly switched between transparent and frosted.

Since there are many microcapsules, a specific color can be easily presented in a certain area by programming, achieving the effect of customized car body color. However, this technology sounds expensive, like the whole car shell has become a liquid crystal TV. Imagine if there is a collision…

BMW “Cinema Mode” Entertainment System

Compared to electronic ink technology, even the most dazzling entertainment system seems down-to-earth. Most future cars can achieve autonomous driving. Since hands and feet are liberated, it is necessary to install a movie theater in the car.

The size of BMW suspended giant screen is 31 inches, 32:9 aspect ratio, with 8K resolution and 5G internet connectivity, nearly 1 meter in width. It is seamlessly connected to the sunroof and usually folded in the car roof glass. It can be presented in front of the rear passengers at any time when needed. When it is unfolded, the rear seats instantly become an exclusive private cinema.

A good screen naturally needs good sound. BMW offers the Bowers & Wilkins 4D Diamond Surround Sound system, providing users with an outstanding immersive entertainment experience.

Although BMW officials have not yet revealed which models will be equipped with this entertainment system, it should be available as an option for new models launching in the next few years.

Final Thoughts

This article introduces new technologies and new models, some of which are highly imaginative and futuristic, while others are more practical and can be applied in the short term. In addition, this year’s CES has seen many new brands join the ranks of electric vehicles, such as Vietnamese automaker Vinfast, Turkish startup automaker TOGG, Sony, and more examples of suppliers such as Qualcomm and Mobileye deepening cooperation with car companies. It’s like seeing gods fighting.

If you are inspired by this article to imagine new possibilities for the future of automobiles, please leave a comment in the comment section. What if one day it becomes a reality?

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.