CES 2017: Lush luxury EVs, sophisticated connectivity

Suppliers challenge OEMs in advanced tech

The view from Las Vegas as the 2017 CES (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show) opened in early January to over 160,000 attendees including engineers, product planners and policymakers: Development of advanced mobility technologies is increasingly being driven by suppliers rather than OEMs. And expect numerous acquisition or collaboration megadeals worth at least $500 million as the auto sector rushes to address technology weak points.

The annual CES trade show, presented by the Consumer Technology Assoc. and not open to the public, continues to challenge global auto shows as the “first look” showcase for future mobility solutions-everything from more powerful chipsets for faster data processing, to new sensors, software, user experience and complete vehicle systems.