There's been a vast volume of exciting automotive announcements at CES 2022, from a color-changing SUV and an autonomous car that's also a camper (and your living room) to an EV with over 1,000km of range -- and the revelation that Sony is in fact going to make electric vehicles. Probably.
Traditionally a show that focused more on the tech inside your home and on your person (think TVs, PCs, phones and wearables), CES is quickly becoming a go-to spot for automakers to show off their latest tech advancements and future-looking concepts. They did not disappoint in 2022.
We've rounded up all the hottest announcements from the tech show in Las Vegas, Nevada, for you to consume. Enjoy!
BMW iX Flow concept
It's the sort of thing you'd expect to see in a James Bond film, but BMW has made a color-changing car that actually works in real life.
The customized, fully electric BMW iX has body panels made from E Ink displays - the same technology you find in the screen of a Kindle ereader - in a system it's calling 'iX Flow'.
The modified BMW iX can switch from white to black and back at the press of a button. Sign us up, we're sold.
Cadillac InnerSpace concept
Cadillac says the fully autonomous, InnerSpace concept EV "allows two passengers to focus on their journey and not driving", which is nice.
There are a number of standout features in this concept, such as the traditional doors on each side accompanied by a roof canopy that also raises up, giving you enough space to climb in. The seats pivot out as the doors open, making it easier to slide in, and once closed they come together to form a couch.
A gigantic, curved LED display replaces what would be the windshield, and it wraps around and spills onto the door panels. And of course there's an AI-brain stuck inside too.
Chevrolet Equinox EV
The Chevrolet Equinox EV is taking the fight to Tesla. With a starting price of around $30,000 when it hits roads in the US in the second half of 2023, it will undercut Tesla's cheapest offering by more than $10,000.
At that price, this compact, fully electric SUV will be stiff competition for both the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y (which is also a compact SUV).
Chevrolet Silverado EV
GM also officially unveiled its upcoming electric pick-up, the Chevrolet Silverado EV – and it's set to go toe-to-toe with Ford's F-150 Lightning.
The Silverado EV will ship in two variants, a basic work truck (the WT) and a fully-loaded luxury model (the RST), at some point in 2023. The former will start at $39,900, with the latter set to cost an almighty $105,000.
GM says each model will be capable of up to 400 miles of range on a full charge – that's 100 miles further than the Ford – and use standard DC fast charging up to 350kW.
The Silverado RST will boast a large, 17-inch LCD infotainment screen alongside an 11-inch instrument panel, which itself sits below a multi-colored heads-up display (HUD) offering a field of view over 14 inches.
Chrysler Airflow concept
The Airflow doesn't break any new ground in terms of its overall look, but it is packed with most of the features, performance, and intelligence you'd hope for in a next-gen EV.
The all-wheel-drive concept is powered by two 150 kW batteries. They support fast charging and give the car a range between 350 and 400 miles.
The chassis is festooned with animated LED lights that scream, "I'm smart and I'm electric!" and also features a panoramic roof.
There's an unusually-shaped steering wheel that sits beside a much larger control screen. Beside that is yet another screen for your passenger; the whole system is powered by Chrysler's new AI-powered STLA Brain.
LG Omnipod concept
The aptly-named LG Omnipod is, according to the company, a "mobility concept solution that blurs the distinction between home and car," and a rather dramatic expansion on LG's Connected Car vision.
Better thought of as a miniaturized private jet cabin, the LG Omnipod is intended to be an "on-the-road extension of one's personal living space," boasting in-vehicle appliances like fridges and retractable furniture alongside a sprawling "Meta Environment" display system – which we can only presume to mean a set of adaptive interior screens mimicking an outside environment of the occupant's choice.
Then there's the AI Concierge Service, which LG envisions will see virtual humans (read: avatars) waiting on the whims of those inside the cabin (we're thinking light, temperature, noise and speed assistance).
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept
The Mercedes Vision EQXX concept (or "road-legal research prototype" as it's referred to in official comms) has some rather impressive specs. It boasts over 1,000km (620 miles) of range from a single charge, while inside there's a huge 47.5-inch display stretching the entire width of the dash.
Mercedes' engineers have worked their magic when it comes to the battery, taking the power pack from the EQS and reducing its physical size by 50% and weight by 30%, while also extending its range.
The Vision EQXX also features 125 solar cells on its roof that can replenish up to 25km of range per day, the best drag coefficient of any car at 0.17 making it supremely aerodynamic, and it uses a wide range of recycled and sustainable materials both inside and out.
While this particular model won't go on sale, Mercedes says it's extremely close to a production-ready vehicle, and many of the features seen here will feature in future EVs from the brand.
Sony Vision-S 02 concept
At CES last year Sony unveiled the Vision-S 01 concept EV - its own interpretation of an electric car. While interesting, many assumed it was more a tech demo from Sony rather than any serious signal that it was about to make the leap into the EV market.
At CES 2022 things changed, with the announcement of the Vision-S 02 concept SUV electric car.
The all-electric SUV has seven seats and includes a host of advanced sensors and safety systems, including the environment-mapping lidar sensors used in autonomous vehicles as well as modern iPhones.
It also features 360-degree audio and rear-seat displays, as well as a "front panoramic screen" to entertain passengers (and the driver, when you're parked).
You can even play PlayStation games through a remote connection to a console at home, the company says, and play streaming games through the cloud.
However the biggest news was confirmation that "Sony will establish an operating company 'Sony Mobility Inc.' in the spring of 2022, through which the company intends to explore entry into the EV market."
DriveStation anyone?
More CES 2022 car news
There were plenty more interesting automotive announcements at CES 2022, even if they weren't specifically new cars. Here's a quick round-up of the best of the rest from the show this year.
- BMW Theatre Screen is a huge 31-inch movie display in your car
- Exclusive: The Mercedes Vision EQXX can't even hit 90mph, but that's okay
- Motorola solves the biggest problem with Android Auto
- Qualcomm partners with Volvo, Honda and Renault in fresh automotive push
- Volvo is putting YouTube in its cars
Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2022 coverage. We're bringing you all the breaking tech news and launches, everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
