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Future Cars Set to Transform Beyond Mere Transport into Dynamic Interactive Spaces, Thanks to Emerging Tech

How is emerging tech redefining our relationship with cars, transforming them from mere transportation tools into dynamic, interactive spaces? Michael Harrell, SVP of Engineering Maps at TomTom, offers a visionary perspective on this transformation, emphasizing the profound changes in how we interact with our vehicles. His insights were particularly highlighted at the CES 2024…

By Grant Harrell · January 18, 2024, 1:21 AM UTCAccessCes 2024Digital CockpitMichael Harrell
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Key takeaways

01

Cars are evolving into interactive, connected environments beyond their traditional transport function.

02

TomTom's mapping and engineering advancements are central to enabling this in-vehicle transformation.

03

CES 2024 served as a key stage for showcasing how emerging tech is reshaping the future of mobility.

How is emerging tech redefining our relationship with cars, transforming them from mere transportation tools into dynamic, interactive spaces?

Michael Harrell, SVP of Engineering Maps at TomTom, offers a visionary perspective on this transformation, emphasizing the profound changes in how we interact with our vehicles. His insights were particularly highlighted at the CES 2024 event, where TomTom unveiled its ACCESS-powered digital cockpit, showcasing the future of in-car experiences.

Harrell delves into the electrification of vehicles and the advancements in self-driving technology, which are altering the automotive industry and reshaping our everyday experiences. His insights reveal a future where cars are no longer just about getting from point A to B, but about enriching our lives with new forms of entertainment, connectivity, and comfort with emerging tech. He also touches on the challenges and breakthroughs in vehicle interface technology, highlighting the role of conversational AI in making our interactions with cars more intuitive and human-like.

We’re really gonna be looking at a car as a third living space, and it’s gonna enrich this environment if you could have a great theater and gaming system with camping capabilities. All these great things that you can do and experience within the car, it’s fundamentally changing the way the automotive industry and the number of companies are thinking about and working, to innovate and change the space of the car,” Harrell said.

Article written by Sonia Gossai

About the author

GH
Grant HarrellHead of Transportation/Mobility & Host of "Are We There Yet?" video podcast series

Asking the most exciting, innovative, cutting-edge companies in transportation/mobility the “Are We There Yet?” question is a lot of fun, and the focus of Grant Harrell's top video podcast series! And, it’s not a bad question as so much is truly happening in this space today. What used to be trains, planes, and automobiles is now robots, drones, and spaceships, and Grant is curious about how soon we are all going to see these technologies in action, at scale. Very few of us enjoy a car that drives itself, have dinner delivered via drone, or have taken a vacation to space, but these amazing technologies and applications, as Grant discovers within his "Are We There Yet?" podcast series, are here, or as he likes to say, "we're there"! Grant also serves as the Head of Transportation/Mobility for MarketScale, one of the fastest-growing, most-successful, fun b2b media companies in the industry! MarketScale works behind the scenes for many of the top brands today, building their brand, engaging their communities, and telling their incredible stories! Within Grant's leadership of MarketScale's Transportation/Mobility division, he enjoys working with top companies within automotive to aviation, micro-mobility to marine, drones to space exploration, and everyone in between. And, Grant encourages you to reach out to him directly and set up a meeting, because as he says, "whats the point of all of this transportation/mobility technology development if we aren't headed somewhere fun to meet someone interesting"!

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About the Experts

GH
Grant Harrell

Host / Contributor at EY

Grant Harrell is a contributor and host associated with EY, covering emerging technology trends and their impact on industries such as automotive and mobility. He explores how innovations like AI, connectivity, and mapping technologies are reshaping consumer and enterprise experiences. His work includes coverage of major tech events such as CES.

MH
Michael Harrell

SVP of Engineering Maps

TomTom

Michael Harrell serves as SVP of Engineering Maps at TomTom, where he leads engineering efforts around mapping technologies for automotive and navigation applications. He has been a prominent voice at industry events such as CES 2024, sharing insights on how vehicles are evolving into interactive, connected spaces. His work sits at the intersection of software engineering, geospatial data, and the future of mobility.