CES 2025: Our predictions for upcoming tech show

The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opens this week and has traditionally been a haven for car manufacturers to showcase their latest tech, innovations and new vehicles.

As technology plays an increasingly crucial role in the development, appeal and success of modern vehicles, CES is becoming increasingly prevalent for OEMs to attend and take part in, even eclipsing many of the traditional European and North American motor shows.

So with that in mind, here are our top five motoring predictions for CES 2025…

Ok, so this one perhaps isn’t the most shocking or surprising trend out there, but artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving technology have been industry talking and focal points for years now.

Chinese and mainstream brands alike have been making huge progress in the development of their AI functions, driver aids and autonomous capabilities at an increasingly brisk rate, so much so, some are even at the point of just waiting for legislation to change.

We expect multiple big name and challenger brands to arrive at CES 2025 with all manner of displays and demonstrations showcasing their newest software and a bucketload of pamphlets explaining how and why it’ll save lives or make driving easier.

Less of a prediction and more of a confirmation, Honda promised last month it would debut its new 0 Series SUV prototype at CES alongside the previously seen saloon, and detail both models in depth.

The 0 Series is on track to become Honda’s flagship EV portfolio and rewrite the rulebook in terms of charging, battery efficiency and battery life – a 15-80 per cent charge is said to take less than 15 minutes while degrading less than one per cent per year over 10 years.

Expect the 0 Series SUV to look like a vertically stretched version of the wedge-like Saloon.

It’s pretty clear many of the established OEMs (and governments) are threatened by the increasing ranks of Chinese brands coming to market and the ultra-competitive prices they can offer their vehicles at.

This ‘threat’ has already and indeed will continue to prompt (and force) the big names to work on delivering more affordable EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles to help them maintain sales.

Hyundai and Kia are among the first to do so, but how long will it be before Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, VW, Mitsubishi, GM and Ford get in on the act, not to mention Tesla and its long-awaited Model Q.

You can’t put infinitely more EVs or PHEVs on the road without a way to keep them going, with charging infrastructure either sorely lacking in abundance and/or reliability at a global level.

Car-makers and energy suppliers alike have been getting in on the act, but electrified vehicles continue to outstrip the availability of plentiful and reliable charging infrastructure, so we expect to see members of both camps turn up the CES with new, advanced charging solutions.

Ultra-fast chargers, solar units, retractable ones, cheap-to-produce public chargers and new-gen home chargers are all likely to be shown on mass this week.

While EVs and hybrids occupy the limelight, a modest but meaningful number of brands are continuing to plug away at their hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen combustion efforts to try and provide more choice for consumers, not to mention infinitely shorter refuelling times.

BMW, Toyota, Hyundai and Honda are among the front runners in this field, with the Bavarian brand rumoured to be showing up to CES 2025 in force.

BMW is eyeing a 2028 release for its first series production hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) model and intends to make the fuel a key part of its portfolio going forward, integrating it into existing and future models which will also be offered with internal combustion and electrified powertrains.

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