automatic driving technology and IT

The boundaries between IT and car industries are becoming blurred. A wide range of IT technology is being combined with a car, which allows it to provide drivers with new functions beyond our imagination such as automatic driving. Therefore it is not too far from the truth to say that we are going to see a "Smart" car in near future. Actually, a car is even now transforming to a smart car or electronic car by being combined with cutting-edge IT technologies. The Strategy Analytics, a sales and marketing consulting company in US, expects that the proportion of IT-based parts used in a car raises up to 50% in 2020 from 20% in 2009. 

This combination of IT technology and a car can also be seen in the CES, the world's largest electronics show. Over the past few years, enterprises related to smart phones and household appliances are a center of CES such as Samsung,  Apple and LG. So we could easily see the "confusion" of IT technologies and electronics like TV, refrigerator, washing machines and so on. However, as global car makers got into "smart" car market and have invested a lot of money, a variety of cars equipped with the most advanced IT technologies show up in the CES. This expansion of "smart" cars to the CES makes this event called "Car Electronics Show".

CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2016 is going to be held in Las Vegas in January 1st 2016. It is actually the world's largest electronics show which is hosted by CEA. It is where global electronics companies show their cutting-edge technologies and products.

In CES 2016,  Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Hyundai Kia, Toyota, Volkswagen and other car companies will participate in. The main technology that they all will present is automatic driving technology on realization of which many car experts are positive in the near future. In addition, more than 115 companies related to automotive parts also take part in the CES. The proportion of booth for companies related to automotive parts will increase by 25% compared to the one in the last year.

Chrysler was taken over by FIAT, one of the leading car companies in Italy. 

Mercedes-Benz                                                                                         

 Mercedes-Benz attracted a lot of attention of the public for presenting the car with automatic driving technology early in this year. This model is called "F015 luxury in motion". Then, it will also present new concept car combined with this technology. There is much attention to the new car from Benz.

Audi                                                                                                          

 Audi will also show concept car with which automatic driving technology is available. What is distinct about it is that mass-production can be possible for it. Actually, this concept car is not a whole  new one, but more-advanced version of previous one that was shown in the last year's CES. Audi also presented an electronic car with automatic driving technology in CES Asia which was held in Shanghai.

BMW                                                                                                         

BMW will present a concept model of plug-in hybrid car called "i8". It has got  5.0 liters of gasoline engine, lithiumm-ion battery and the maximum speed of 250 km. It can also drive 100km in 5 seconds from standstill.

It is not yet known what concept cars will be shown in CES from Volkswagen. However, many experts say that Volkswagen will show electronic car for new Golf R.

Ford and Google                                                                                         

Ford will reveal a concept of the automatic car that Google works together on developing in Las Vegas. Google recently brought in car experts from Ford. The former president of Ford has become one of the board members at Google. The former overseas president at Hyundai in US stepped on the CEO of the automatic car project. He had also worked for Ford for 15 years.

Reference List

Benz image source = "image source = http://design-milk.com/best-ces-2015-mercedes-f-015-luxury-motion/" and "http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ces-mercedes-benz-unveils-driving-761178"

Audi image source = "http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/on-the-town/article.html/content/news/articles/cfn/2015/1/8/ces_2015_cars.html"

BMW image source = "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_i8"

Ford image source = "http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/21/10641600/ces-2016-google-ford-autonomous-cars"