The Coolest Car-Related Innovations From CES 2015

CES 2015 ended last week, and there was no shortage of unbelievable technological innovation within the auto industry. CES is short for the (International) Consumer Electronics Show, a trade-show of sorts that debuts some of the world’s most progressive and popular technologies of the future, today. While these technologies certainly look flashy, a question no one has raised, is what will the impact be to auto mechanics. Take a look below to see what’s coming in 2015.

Chevy Vehicles That Predict Failures

Chevy is in the process of developing cars that can sense when certain parts are about to fail. While this technology will roll out in 2016 car models, these tests are still very young, and will only monitor the battery, starter motor and fuel pump. Still, if a person goes to a mechanic and brings in an engine that looks seemingly healthy, it could cause confusion or issues in the repair shop. What do you think about this invention?

Mercedes-Benz’s Unreal Self-Driving Car

The Verge put together a 6 minute video compilation of the Mercedes-Benz keynote presentation. In it, you’ll find a self-driving car that truly looks like a space-age horse carriage, that same car assisting drivers across a street, and the creepiest robot butler you’ll ever see. There are some features in here that I'm sure would take mechanics some extra time to learn about.

(The self-driving, zero emission Mercedes-Benz F015 concept.)

Volkswagen Unveils Gesture Control, All Touch Screens

The new version of the Volkswagen Golf has turned the average looking hatchback into an infotainment mecca, syncing with smartphones, driving apps and more. It’s also been programmed with hand gestures so you can turn temperature control, audio and other features on and off with a wave of your hand. Just make sure the car next to you doesn’t think you’re flipping them off. Again, hand gestures in cars is something that has never been in a mainstream car model. As a mechanic, understanding these features might take some time.

Toyota Opens All Fuel Cell Patents To The Public

This one has some seriously big implications in the world of green energy. Toyota has released all of its 5,680 fuel cell patents to the public without any tariff or royalty. The company has been relentless in trying to push for more hydrogen car resources, and has already come out with a ready-to-deploy fuel cell vehicle. Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda went on record at CES and said, “Our car company alone cannot create a hydrogen society. It needs to be a worldwide effort.” Kudos to you, Mr. Toyoda. Fuel cell cars would completely rethink the structure of a normal car, even from a hybrid car or electric car, and if it takes off, mechanics everywhere will have to adapt their knowledge to this new technology.

(The fuel cell hydrogen system, head to tail.)

Ford’s Car Sharing Venture

This one is a bit unusual. Ford is heavily investing in a venture that would put another car share out there on the streets, and in essence, sell fewer Ford cars. Perhaps there’s another business model they have for this, but it seems as though Ford is looking to be more a part of the driving community instead of trying to own it. Maybe this won’t impact mechanics much, but before pumping out a bunch of cars for the masses, it should be imperative for Ford to make sure their cars are built as well as they possibly could be.

A 3-Wheeled Car for only $6,800

Pros, this car is cheap and gets 84 mpg. Cons, it's tiny, and resembled an enclosed Can Am Spyder, but much, much lonelier, with their only being room for one person. It's the new Elio, and it's ready to ship in 2016. The big thing that will be tough for owners, is that they'll probably have a lot of difficulty finding a mechanic that's an expert in this car. Granted, I'm sure a lot is the same, but with any unusual car comes unusual quirks under the hood. Check out this video here to see more of the Elio.

Audi’s Car Drives Itself To CES

While the BMW self-driving, zero emissions car stole the show, Audi pulled a pretty cool trick in having its self-driving car travel to CES in Las Vegas from San Francisco, well, by driving itself. These cars aren’t just Google’s version of science fiction anymore. CES 2015 showed that very reputable car companies are investing millions upon millions of dollars to make this a reality for the affluent consumer in just a few years.

What do you think about these inventions? What do you want to see happen next with car technology? Let us know in the comments!