Just this week, GM announced they plan to hire 1, 500 workers for a new research center in Michigan to help make sure the high-tech cars of tomorrow are designed and built right here in America.
Ford said his firm's current crop of hi-tech cars were capable of utilizing offboard "cloud computing" to expand their abilities, performing tasks like directing drivers to the nearest coffee shops, checking their health and keeping tabs on their daily diary.
High-tech and futuristic smart cars can bring high demand, premium prices and high margins.
Jobs for factory workers to build high-tech vehicle batteries, electric cars, and hybrid trucks.
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These buyers' aesthetic preferences are shaped as much by Apple iPhones as high-performance cars, and many of them have been drawn to the understated lines of Audi's design and details such as the cars' high-tech multimedia systems.
The innovation is happening swiftly, albeit subtly as cars build in hi-tech operating systems.
The new exhibit uses LED panels on the floor, covered with white etched glass that reflect on the cars and portray a high-tech aura.
Of course, if you're not feeling such a high-tech setup, you could always place toy cars and Christmas ornaments beneath your doorways and window seals.
As an example, Pell pointed to platinum, a valuable commodity which is a critical part of catalytic converters for cars as well as clean-tech fuel cells.
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Today, thanks in part to discoveries made right here at Argonne, some of the most high-tech, fuel-efficient, pretty spiffy cars in the world are once again designed, engineered and built here in the United States.
Think the X Prize and lunar landings, robotic cars and other futuristic endeavors pursued by tech geeks in garages come to mind.
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Chip developer Qualcomm says plug-in charging is too "cumbersome" and its tech could lead to batteries being topped up while cars are being driven.
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This case involves something called rare earth materials, which are used by American manufacturers to make high-tech products like advanced batteries that power everything from hybrid cars to cell phones.
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One thing the tech and auto industries can agree on is that self-driving cars are doable.
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Besides an array of new high-tech features, the Consumer Electronics Show has its own lineup of cars on display.
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At the new technical center near Shanghai, GM and its Chinese partners are jointly developing new cars based on GM components, including such high-tech elements as electric-car batteries, dual-clutch transmissions and lightweight materials.
Audi unveiled its new futuristic LED headlights, which the company claims will increase visibility and reduce the chances of a collision and Lexus unveiled a new high-tech autonomous vehicle that could pave the way towards self-driving cars.
Before sports cars and private jets, watches were the ultimate high-tech bauble.
The tech industry assumes that eventually, everything will be connected to the Internet, with cars, household appliances and mobile devices all communicating with each other.
But some cars, like the Lexus LS600h L, are such a high-tech tours de force that they have fussy features that confer questionable consumer benefits, alongside easy-to-use features, with obvious benefits.
The Internet of things only accelerates this process, as it enables tech companies to grow beyond pure-playing business models and enter new markets, like payment, cars or energy.
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