These 12 New Car Tech Features Blew My Mind: Best of CES 2025
If you don’t know CES, or the Consumer Electronics Show, it’s probably because you’re not in the tech or gadget business. If you are, though, this is a must-see show attended by 150,000 people showing off and buying up the things that will dominate our tech lives in the near future.
That includes cars and all the tech that goes into them, and these tech offerings are some of the best of CES 2025.
I thought I’d seen it all until I saw these tech gadgets and features. It may take a while for them to come to market, a year or more, but when they do they’ll change your life.
This story is 100% human researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Minivans That Are Truly a Living Room on Wheels
Chinese carmaker Zeekr was widely thought to be the best of CES for the selection of what you might call minivans but are really luxury pods on wheels. The large van, above, seats only two in the rear and has a full-size screen and media system. The mid-size van (top) has reclining and rotating front seats that allow you to fully spin around to face rear seat passengers.
Relax, have a meal, catch up with a friend, or just find out what your kids did all day while you wait for your car to charge.
Read: Minivans Just Got Really Interesting. Check Your Ego and Take Look
A Transparent, Dimmable Sun Visor
I’ve seen this in cars before and thought, what a dumb thing. I was literally blinded by the sun because the tint wasn’t dark enough. And that’s because the one I saw wasn’t made by Gentex.
Maker of digital rear view mirrors, cameras, sensors and more, Gentex took a very smart approach to this and made the visors dimmable, so you can see somewhat through the visor or not much at all. Just tap the button on the top to dim the visor to your preferred level.
Read: Are You A Passenger Princess? And Is That a Bad Thing?
And Then, The Absolute BEST Visor Mirror Ever -and the True Best of CES
Gentex’s dimmable visor also does this: push the button the far right and it becomes a full size mirror. FULL SIZE. I truly cannot wait for this option to be offered on new cars; it has to be the best innovation in visor mirrors since they were introduced in the … 1950’s?
And it’s great. Bright, reflective and easy to see. Just please, no using it WHILE you’re driving. Don’t ruin this for the rest of us.
Read: 2025 Genesis GV80 First Drive: Being an Honored Guest Elevates the Luxury
Did You Have Something To Say?
A couple of years ago Sony showed off the Afeela, its electric car collab with Honda and it’s back and still one of the best of CES. And while yes, Afeela is cool, has tons of screens and innovations, it also has this: An LED “media bar” that spans the hood displays the Afeela name but it’s also programmable so you can customize it however you like. “Hey cutie,” or “Speed it up,” or “Take it easy,” just pick your (appropriate) message and let everyone know what you’re thinking.
The Squircle is Making Inroads
I just LOVED that so many steering wheels on demo cars at CES were flat on top and bottom. Even this prototype demonstration wheel that Harman used to show off its new driver assist system (see the next item, below) is a squircle. Seems the trend is taking off!
Harman’s Driver Assist System is Really Helpful!
Imagine a system that can see around corners, predict parallel parkers, trucks blocking intersections and lights that are about to turn red. Well, it’s a reality and a new system being offered by Harman, maker of sound systems and multimedia screens. Soon, you’ll be able to get notifications like this on your screen to assist with the drive.
Hyundai Wants You To Breathe
Wellness was a big topic and much of the best of CES across the board, including in automotive tech. Hyundai’s Mobis parts division showed off a system that measures your brain waves and monitors your health while you’re driving, as long as you’re wearing an ear piece that’s required to take those measurements.
Once it’s got you on its radar, it can monitor your stress and attention levels and engage you, relax you and also, guide your drive with anticipatory navigation guidance. All designed to make the drive less taxing and more relaxing. Isn’t that thoughtful?
A Full Panoramic Screen and a Live Assistant From Harman
Harman has been ahead of the curve on a lot of things over the years and this one is no exception: They’ve combined the panoramic projection screen, which spans the lower portion of the windshield, and added an animated assistant that can talk to you and perform functions for you as you drive. The system, and the assistant, will warn you of traffic issues ahead such as pedestrians or traffic jams, re-route you or set the cabin temperature.
I’d Rather Be a Passenger Princess
Wouldn’t it be nice if all those—or any of those—screens in cars could stream RHOBH? Well, now they can. Harman introduced a new passenger screen that is designed to stream your favorite shows. But it gets better. You can connect your phone and use it as a remote for both streaming and gaming. How cool is that?
Yes, There Was AI and it May Be the True Best of CES
AI, like it does everywhere, dominated the chatter at CES. And while there is a lot of AI behind the scenes, Bosch introduced a system designed to help you when there’s a problem. Called the Super Technician, if you have a problem with your car you can fill out some basic details, answer some questions and even upload photos and the system will sift through gazillions of reports and data to match up your issues with known issues and details, then summarize it for a mechanic who can quickly narrow things down and find the fix.
No longer will it take weeks or months to diagnose a problem, or for a mechanic to not hear it when he takes your car for a spin. You’ll have Bosch AI to back you up.
That was just the start of the best of CES—I didn’t stop by to see all the new games, screens, health and wellness gadgets. The innovations in automotive wow’d me enough.
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