Traditional OEMs face a challenge in the coming years as new competitors and fresh approaches to personal transportation appear. Daimler and Volvo are two of the old-guard leaders preparing for the new battle. According to recent interviews, full assaults on the IT (information technology) and safety fronts are just two of the highlighted strategies being deployed.

This year kicked off where 2018 finished when a huge number of developments were announced in autonomous and connected vehicles. The biggest platform for these reveals, demonstrations, and announcements was the CES 2019 Show in Las Vegas, which saw an unprecedented amount of automotive applications being showcased and a glimpse given to a world that is fast becoming a reality.

In the early days of commercial aviation, thousands of inventors and tinkerers developed multiple schemes for flying machines. A few ideas worked, but many others never got off the ground.