Car that can change its colour, or the conversation, to make you love it
What if your car could talk back to you, display emotions or change its colour?
BMW posed these questions in a flashy launch at the Consumer Electric Show in Las Vegas, unveiling two concept cars featuring unexpected and futuristic technology.
The German automakerās event came hours after Sony revealed its first electric vehicle, created in partnership with Honda, that will roll out in 2026.
BMW did its best to overshadow its competitors during the CES keynote, enlisting celebrities Arnold Schwarzenegger and David Hasselhoff alongside famous vehicles Herbie the Love Bug and KITT, of Knight Rider fame.
The celebrities helped BMW unveil a concept sedan called the i Vision Dee, named after its artificially intelligent assistant.
BMW chief executive Oliver Zipse said āDeeā was designed to be a driverās companion that would not only let them control the carās features but help motorists fall in love with vehicles again.
āIt is our vision of pushing the boundaries between physical and digital perception,ā Mr Zipse said.
āDee embodies the next level of human-machine interaction; a concept that cannot simply be dismissed as science fiction.ā
The BMW i Vision vehicle also featured an advanced head-up display stretching the length of its windscreen and dashboard controls to let drivers determine how many augmented reality icons were displayed in the car.
While the company did not name a launch date for its assistant, the new display technology will launch in 2025, Mr Zipse said.
BMW also showed off a second concept car featuring bright panels that could change colours and patterns. The display technology is an update on a concept car shown at last yearās event that could change from black to white.
Sony and Honda also used CES to unveil automotive plans, showing off an electric vehicle prototype they will launch under the brand Afeela.
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The sedan will feature a Qualcomm chip, 45 cameras and sensors, a display outside the vehicle to communicate with other motorists, and ālevel threeā self-driving features.
Sony chief executive Kenichiro Yoshida said the first Afeela car would also feature a high-end entertainment system for passengers.
āIn addition to movies, games and music, we envision a new in-cabin experience using our expertise of (user experience) and the (user interaction) technologies,ā he said.
The first Sony Honda Mobility vehicle will be released in the US in 2026.
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