I was holding myself back from writing my Part 2 of the connected car series. I thought lets see what CES 2018 has in store this year as there was already a lot of hype building up, that CES is set to be renamed 'Car Electronics Show', instead of what it originally stands for - the 'Consumer Electronics Show'.
Must say, it was worth the wait!. Among several innovations of 5G, Bots, Home Assistants, Foldable Screens showcased this year, the one innovation that is blowing everyone's mind, is a brand that has taken personal mobility to an all new level - yes! you guessed it right - BYTON. Check out in the video below, how is the brand changing the user experience by redefining traditional automotive design, not just making them 'connected'.
I will not give you the same info that is doing rounds on various articles following BYTON's launch at CES, instead let me share few interesting trivia about it. Derived from "Bytes on Wheels", it all started when Carsten Breitfeld - the former project lead of BMW i8 (the hybrid sportscar) stepped out of BMW to make his dream of mobility of the future come true. In his interview with veteran EV journalist William Moore, he explains how he wanted to create an 'íPhone on Wheels'. Whats heartening is how he made a choice to move out of the world's leading auto brand to start his own venture and make his dream come true. How many of us can really do that!
For those who missed the launch, please click here to see the 10 min video, released today morning and Breitfeld giving you all the details on vehicle's unconventional design, size, wheel base, variants, price and start of production date.
While Byton is breaking norms at various levels, other car makers - GM, Honda and Toyota, are also leveraging the connected car technology unlike seen before. Its not merely an extension of a smart phone or a tablet (like an advance upgrade of Apple Car Play or Android Auto), but the car itself is an independent smart device in the whole gamut of Internet of Things.
The tech facilitates 'face recognition', making keyless entry literally a reality, saves preferences of your music, your seat positions, your favourite restaurants, allows you to place an order for your favourite cup of Hot Chocolate at your preferred cafe, even before you arrive there... Whats more! all this not just on one car, but several cars that you would use in the future. After all, in few years we would be moving to sharing cars, rather than owning cars. Imagine, a preference is set on the first car, and thereafter, unless your alter it, every car that you hire, the car will automatically adjust itself to your preferences, through face recognition. How about topping all this up with a Loyalty program that gives you offers and freebies after every few transactions exclusively with your car. Well, the day isn't too far!
It doesn't just stop here, when we move to autonomous drives (robotaxis), for all you know Netflix may start a subscription model exclusively for cars, so when its manoeuvring through the city traffic or cruising on a highway, you are actually able to catch the latest series of Narcos - Season 11.
For those who missed the launch, please click here to see the 10 min video, released today morning and Breitfeld giving you all the details on vehicle's unconventional design, size, wheel base, variants, price and start of production date.
While Byton is breaking norms at various levels, other car makers - GM, Honda and Toyota, are also leveraging the connected car technology unlike seen before. Its not merely an extension of a smart phone or a tablet (like an advance upgrade of Apple Car Play or Android Auto), but the car itself is an independent smart device in the whole gamut of Internet of Things.
The tech facilitates 'face recognition', making keyless entry literally a reality, saves preferences of your music, your seat positions, your favourite restaurants, allows you to place an order for your favourite cup of Hot Chocolate at your preferred cafe, even before you arrive there... Whats more! all this not just on one car, but several cars that you would use in the future. After all, in few years we would be moving to sharing cars, rather than owning cars. Imagine, a preference is set on the first car, and thereafter, unless your alter it, every car that you hire, the car will automatically adjust itself to your preferences, through face recognition. How about topping all this up with a Loyalty program that gives you offers and freebies after every few transactions exclusively with your car. Well, the day isn't too far!
It doesn't just stop here, when we move to autonomous drives (robotaxis), for all you know Netflix may start a subscription model exclusively for cars, so when its manoeuvring through the city traffic or cruising on a highway, you are actually able to catch the latest series of Narcos - Season 11.
Entertainment is emerging to be a big profitable trend that is forecasted, facilitated through innovative dash board designs with SEDs (Shared Experience Display) - both Byton and Honda are leading this 'coast to coast' large display screens . It's putting the massive 17 inch Tesla TFT to shame.
Critics fear that with all this we may be risking our own lives and there is just too much distraction. However I would like to ask them, aren't our smart phones distracting enough, but we love them because they make our lives so simple and efficient.
As Carsten Breitfeld puts it, future of mobility would be replacing Horse Power with Digital Power.
I would love to hear your take on connected cars and the opportunities you see in the years to come. Please leave your comments, its great to hear opinions from around the world. Is the future to fear, or to look forward to?
Critics fear that with all this we may be risking our own lives and there is just too much distraction. However I would like to ask them, aren't our smart phones distracting enough, but we love them because they make our lives so simple and efficient.
As Carsten Breitfeld puts it, future of mobility would be replacing Horse Power with Digital Power.
I would love to hear your take on connected cars and the opportunities you see in the years to come. Please leave your comments, its great to hear opinions from around the world. Is the future to fear, or to look forward to?
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