A Mercedes-Benz F 015 self-driving concept car at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Asia in Shanghai on Tuesday. Photo: CFP

Editor's Note:

The 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Asia was held in Shanghai from Monday to Wednesday. The show saw the participation of more than 200 companies from 15 countries and regions, according to information posted on its website. Besides Internet companies and consumer electronics makers, automakers including Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz also brought their frontier technologies to the show, among which self-driving technologies have been a highlight.

Audi

German premium car maker Audi's R8 e-tron Piloted Driving concept made its global debut at the CES Asia. The concept combines electric power and self-driving technologies.

The car is equipped with a laser scanner, an array of video cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar sensors at both the front and rear. Signals collected by these components will be sent to a central control unit on the car, which will create a virtual image of the car's surroundings and make autonomous driving possible.

Besides self-driving, the concept car also boasts dashing features such as pure electric range of 450 kilometers. The car can also accelerate to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.9 seconds, media reported.

Audi's A7 piloted driving car also made a test drive in Shanghai. The model had already demonstrated its self-driving technology through a drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas during the CES in Las Vegas in January.

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz also showcased its futuristic autonomous-driving model - the F 015 Luxury in Motion concept - at the CES Asia.

The car made its Asia debut at the Shanghai auto show in April.

The light-weight body of the model, featuring a metallic silver exterior, is made from steel, aluminum and carbon fiber. The car is powered by hydrogen fuel cells, according to a statement e-mailed to the Global Times on Monday.

Front seats of the luxury driverless model can rotate 180 degrees, enabling front-row passengers to face back-seat passengers and turning the car into a private lounge.

The F 015 Luxury in Motion concept also boasts a wheelbase of 3,610 millimeters, 445 millimeters longer than the company's premium S Class line, which means more room for car owners.

Both Audi and Mercedes-Benz said at the CES Asia that their products will adopt the Carlife application designed by Baidu, the Internet giant that operates China's largest search engine. The application is expected to make the cars smarter and more connected.

Volkswagen

German automaker Volkswagen demonstrated its inductive charging technology at the CES Asia.

By using the technology, electric cars can be charged without using cables. The car can be charged by simply being parked on top of an inductive charging station and the vehicle's exterior light can tell the driver whether the car is fully charged, according to a statement Volkswagen e-mailed to the Global Times on Monday.

The Volkswagen Golf R Touch, displayed for the first time in Asia, features an infotainment system that incorporates gesture control.

All it takes is a hand movement in the space in front of the infotainment display to control some functions of the car, such as opening or closing the sunroof.

The company also showcased the Connected Golf model at the CES Asia, which could allow passengers to use both Apple and Android apps on the car's infotainment system.

Lincoln

US premium auto marque Lincoln also attended the CES Asia. It showcased at the show its new MKX, which is expected to hit the Chinese market in the second half of this year, according to a statement e-mailed to the Global Times on Monday.

The car is equipped with high technologies such as a 360-degree camera, which can provide extra convenience for parking. The technology was being used on a Lincoln car for the first time, the company said.

Lincoln also introduced technologies that aim to make car purchases easier. By using a plasma display, the company can visualize a one-to-one 3D image of a customer-configured car, demonstrating details such as exterior color and interior materials chosen by customers, the company said.

Global Times