By Ken Grant
While the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has been the prime spot to showcase the kind of tech gadgets normally found at places like Brookstone and Best Buy, the past two years have dedicated a significant and growing amount of space and time to transportation – from self-driving cars and shuttles to Hyperloop technology to flying cars. Because of this increased focus on auto technology, AAA is paying close attention to the developments, partnerships, and discussions at CES.
Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, says CES has become one of the largest auto-shows in the world.
“What we’re seeing is a whole eco-system here, from companies that create the guts of the technology to OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) producers,” Shapiro said. “People want the conveniences they have in their homes also available in their cars.”
On the show floor, the approximately 180,000 attendees at CES saw many of the usual names associated with automobiles – Ford, Toyota, Mercedes, etc., while also being introduced to new names like Aptiv, Keolis, Torc and Local Motors and familiar names in other product areas like Intel and Google.
Between the displays, concept cars, demonstrations, and discussions – here’s a rundown of emerging trends:
- A majority of the vehicles on the street will be self-driving, some predict it will happen by 2025, others by 2050, but all agree it’s going to happen sooner than many expect.
- Government regulators are working closely with tech companies and auto manufacturers to move the technology forward – Federal Trade Commission acting chair Maureen Ohlhausen said her organization is working to protect consumer data while giving transportation companies the freedom to develop better systems.
- The more people experience a ride in an autonomous vehicle, the more they are supportive of the concept – this is one of the reasons AAA partnered with Keolis and the city of Las Vegas to provide free shuttle rides in the downtown area on a self-driving vehicle. Since the shuttle launched in November, more than 7,000 people have ridden in the shuttle and rated their “driver” 4.8 out of 5 stars with 98 percent of those surveyed saying they would recommend the experience.
- The insurance model for cars is going to change – risk won’t go away, but it will be shifted – possibly to the manufacturer, the software developer, and/or other entities.
- We might need to teach self-driving vehicles how to “break the rules” – for example, if a self-driving vehicle comes across a delivery truck that is blocking a lane of traffic and the only way to get around is to cross the double-yellow lines when there is not oncoming traffic, current programing would force the car to simply wait until the delivery truck has finished making the delivery rather than going around it.
- What about people who still want to drive? Some envision a time when driving a car will be similar to riding a horse today – people will still do it, but it will be in special places away from daily commuters.
There was a strong Delaware connection at CES this year, as several of the transportation leaders who spoke at the TEDxWilmington Salon on transportation sponsored by AAA were key speakers and presenters at CES, including:
- Maureen Ohlhausen, Acting Chair of the Federal Trade Commission
- John Ellis of Ellis & Associates
- John Nielsen, Managing Director of AAA National’s Automotive Engineering Team
- David Silver, Leader of the Self-driving car program at Udacity
- Andreas Mai with Keolis North America
- David Woessner, General Manager of Local Motors National Harbor
Through the changes in technology, regulations, and public experiences, AAA remains a constant advocate for pedestrian, passenger, and motorist safety, data privacy, and a quality infrastructure.
Ken Grant is the Public & Government Affairs Manager for Delaware with AAA Mid-Atlantic.
