Back in the day, the Detroit Auto Show was the Super Bowl for those of us who covered the automotive industry. Three days of news conferences, interviews and new car debuts in the Motor City, all with the top executives from all over the world in attendance. (We used to wear suits and ties to this! I haven't worn a tie to anything except a wedding since the pandemic hit.)
But now, the future is electrified, software-driven and increasingly autonomous, so the Big Show for us is CES, the giant tech trade show out in Las Vegas. And your InsideEVs team is out there to see what's new in the world of technology and when—or maybe how—it's coming to your next car.
Welcome back to Critical Materials, our morning news roundup. We're back in force for 2025 after a few weeks of limited coverage over the holidays, so thanks for joining us for what will undoubtedly be a very busy and interesting year.
On today's docket: what we expect from CES, the explosion of AI in the tech sector, and why China's Geely Holding has big plans for the future. Let's dig in.
30%: What We're Following At CES 2025
I'm on the ground in Las Vegas with Deputy Editor Mack Hogan and Staff Writer Kevin Williams. Here's what we're going to be keeping an eye on this year.
Honda: It's expected to unveil two new variants of its 0 Series EV family at the show. Last year, Honda revealed a radical, wedge-like vision of future electric models built from the ground up (i.e., no more General Motors platform-sharing) that aim to be "thin, light and wise." One of them is expected to be an SUV this time.
BMW: The German automaker plans to show off "the first-ever BMW Panoramic iDrive display" and operating system concepts for the upcoming Neue Klasse EVs.
Scout Motors: The Volkswagen Group-backed brand will have a display at the show and may bring some news, perhaps even about its ongoing fight with VW's dealership network to sell directly to consumers.
Hyundai Mobis: Hyundai's parts and tech division will show off its Full Windshield Holographic Display, which we wrote about a few months ago and is supposedly destined for future production cars.
Sony-Honda Afeela: This peculiar electric tie-up between two of Japan's biggest consumer titans has had a presence at CES the past few years, and 2025 is no exception. Expect an update on Afeela, their plan for a software-defined, premium EV that will also be built in the U.S.
Toyota's Woven City: Here's an interesting one. At CES 2020, Toyota unveiled bold plans to unveil "a prototype city of the future" built at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan. While its exact focus and goals are a bit unclear, it seems to be—among other things—a giant testing ground for future mobility technologies.
"Envisioned as a 'living laboratory,' the Woven City will serve as a home to full-time residents and researchers who will be able to test and develop technologies such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence in a real-world environment," Toyota officials said at the time.
Now it's 2025, and we're expected to get some updates on Woven City that you'll hear more about later today. I'm interested in seeing where this project is headed.
Aptera: The "solar-powered car company" has been trying to bring something to market for 20 years now (yes, really) and now it says it has production-intent updates at CES. We'll see.
Xpeng: This Chinese car and tech company that's currently making waves in Europe will show off its six-wheel EV concept, the AeroHT Land Aircraft Carrier, so named because it launches an electric aircraft (piloted or remote-controlled) from its rear hatch. Real talk: I love this crazy thing, even though they'll almost certainly never make it. And I wouldn't want to try it if they did.
Zeekr: Another Chinese automaker we keep a close eye on. This is another Geely Group brand we wrote about extensively last year—it's now publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and has close technological ties to corporate cousins Volvo and Polestar—and it's due to show off three new models at CES. Given the tariff situation and geopolitical tensions, Zeekr's path to U.S. sales remains unclear, but it's planting its flag at the world's biggest tech show nonetheless.
Faraday Future: Oh yes, Faraday Future is back. I can't believe it either. If you're just joining us, this is the Chinese-backed EV startup that spent a good chunk of the 2010s promising high-powered, AI-driven, software-defined and autonomous-driving high-end EVs that would make a Tesla look like Fred Flintstone's car. The whole thing has, to date, not really worked out. But FF is promising a wave of new, more affordable EVs here at CES this year. I think the company has a lot to prove, and I'm being generous when I phrase things that way.
Zoox: I'm still working on this one, but I would love to cruise around in Vegas in one of these fully autonomous pods from the Amazon subsidiary. Stay tuned there.
What do you hope to see from the show?
60%: AI, 'Whether It Needs It Or Not'
But the big draw at CES this year won't come as any surprise: it's AI. In everything. Cars themselves, in-car tech, home gadgets, aircraft, actual robots, everything. I am on my third or fourth "just following up" email from a company that makes what it claims is an AI-powered spice rack.
Let me ask you this, friend: does your spice rack really need AI?
Here's what Bloomberg's Weekend Edition had to say about the glut of AI everything we're about to see in Vegas:
Many of the most common use cases for AI so far have been professional, like coding assistants. But the companies presenting at CES are betting that AI isn’t just for work. One startup plans to show an AI-powered spice dispenser. SoundHound AI Inc. will be demonstrating use cases for generative AI in cars. There will be various AI-infused curiosities in the health care space, including a startup that claims to perform 90-second eye exams and a company that makes an AI-powered hormone sensor. Expect lots of freshly updated AI PCs, as well as gaming laptops that use similar hardware.
Why are we doing this? Does it make our consumer devices (including cars) any better? So far that's unclear, but it's happening because investors are still really, really bullish on AI. We'll keep you posted on what we see on the ground.
90%: Geely Group Aims For 5 Million Sales By 2027
We've told you before that China's Geely is one to watch in the EV space. With Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Zeekr and other brands in its family, it's planning a big, global electric sales push over the next few years. And it could just pull that off.
Reuters reported this weekend that Geely Holding Group aims for 5 million global sales by 2027 now, almost 80% growth from 2023's numbers:
To achieve the goal, which could also put Geely among one of the top 10 automaking groups globally, it will further consolidate its sprawling passenger car brands into two units -- Geely Auto and Zeekr Technology -- to target the mass market and premium segments, respectively, it said in a statement published on Sunday.
It would also deepen alignment of research and development of key technologies in seven aspects including architecture, smart driving and cockpits and batteries among the group, which has made redundant investments with separate R&D team under each brand.
The Chinese company owned by billionaire Eric Li embarked on a series of strategic moves in September to focus on its main business of automaking after expanding into other sectors such as satellites, smart phones and banking in previous years.
Geely may be Chinese, but it already has a huge foothold in the U.S. and Europe and beyond with its many brands—and I wouldn't be shocked if more acquisitions are on the horizon. Keep an eye on them this year, we certainly are.
100%: What Excites You About New Car Technology?
After living with a rented Tesla Model 3 Highland and then a 2025 Rivian R1T over the holidays, I've never been more excited about a quality in-car software experience—especially when a good smartphone app is part of the equation. If this stuff is done right, it truly is a game-changer (and something my own EV is kind of missing.)
What new car tech gets you excited, and what do you want us to check out at CES? Let us know in the comments.
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
