#CES2024 - Kia's Concept Vehicles, a Virtual Cockpit Platform, an Autonomous VW ID. Buzz, and More...

The world's biggest tech fair, CES 2024, is now underway in Las Vegas. The announcements from automotive, mobility and technology companies are coming in thick and fast.

Canadian software company, BlackBerry and Stellantis have unveiled the world’s first virtual cockpit platform. It will be a key component of the Stellantis Virtual Engineering Workbench (VEW), enabling the delivery of infotainment tech to its customers 100 times faster than previous processes.

The new platform uses BlackBerry's QNX®Hypervisor in the cloud, and helps to reduce complexity, accelerate innovation and cut costs on in-car software development throughout the entire product lifecycle.

BlackBerry tells Auto Futures: "The industry-first innovation speeds up delivery of infotainment tech to Stellantis customers. Stellantis can now create realistic virtual versions of car controls and systems, making them behave just like they would in a real car, but without needing to change the main software that runs them, taking what used to take months to be achieved down to 24 hours in some cases."

"BlackBerry’s vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust. BlackBerry software supports more than 235 million vehicles currently on the road, and 24 of the top 25 EV manufacturers," adds BlackBerry.

Yves Bonnefont, Chief Software Officer at Stellantis, comments: “With our virtual cockpit, we’re revolutionizing not just our approach, but also that of our suppliers and partners in the industry. Essentially, we’re able to get closer to our customer’s needs through this technology with faster development cycles, faster feedback loops, and quicker delivery of the technology they use and love. It’s a leap towards customer-first innovation and efficiency in the automotive world.”

Safety First

Despite a troubled 2023 for some autonomous driving developers, a number of services and vehicles are on show in Las Vegas. Innoviz, a global LiDAR technology company, is displaying the BMW i7 and Volkswagen ID. Buzz at its booth. Both vehicles have been integrated with LiDAR solutions. 

VW and Innoviz have been working on an accelerated path utilising InnovizTwo LiDAR for level 4 autonomous capabilities for VW's light commercial vehicle. 

Omer Keilaf, Innoviz Co-Founder and CEO, says:  "Our partners are prioritizing safety by choosing our LiDAR technology which allows vehicles to see what humans and cameras cannot. It is our belief that our LiDAR ensures unparalleled protection for passengers, pedestrians, and other vehicles on the road. Together, we are building a safer future. This CES, we are excited to offer attendees the opportunity to experience our technology and our vision, designed to ensure autonomous vehicles drive better than humanly possible."

Going Beyond Traditional Concepts

Kia has officially launched its global ‘Platform Beyond Vehicle’ (PBV) business The brand has also introduced its future PBV product lineup and business vision, along with physically showcasing several PBV concept models.

Kia PBVs are a total mobility solution that combines EVs with advanced software solutions. Its first PBV is scheduled for mass production starting in 2025.

“Kia’s PBV business represents our vision of going beyond the traditional concept of automobiles by fulfilling the unmet needs of diverse customers and communities through optimized vehicles and services catering to specific market and business circumstances,” says Ho Sung Song, Kia President and CEO.

In terms of EV charging. Samsung Electronics is showcasing a service integration with Tesla that will connect SmartThings Energy to Tesla products. The key consumer benefit of the collaboration is it allows SmartThings Energy to display information relating to users’ energy production, storage and usage.

“Tesla Energy’s customers can now manage and monitor the power status of their homes through SmartThings Energy and Samsung devices in addition to the Tesla app, ensuring more access and connectivity,” says Chanwoo Park, EVP and Head of IoT Development Team of Device Platform Center at Samsung Electronics. “This new collaboration is a key milestone for Samsung Electronics in making our solution more widely available beyond home appliances.”

The actual service is currently in development and is targeted to launch in the second quarter of 2024.