| 2023 will bring advancements in EV infrastructure, battery tech, autonomous freight and cars as marketplaces | 
Despite recession fears and the tightening of capital markets in 2023, the world's automotive and mobility sectors will expand their rapidly evolving digital transformation, Consumer Technology Association chief economist Steve Koenig said at CES. The transformation will be spearheaded by the development of an electrification ecosystem. Advancements in self-driving vehicles and the continued emergence of a subscription-based service business model for electric vehicle features are the other top developments that will shape the automotive and mobility sectors over the next decade, Koenig said. The expected increase in EV use by consumers and businesses over the next 10 years will create a need for a far greater and more complex infrastructure to ensure that the electric transport sector is viable, he said. "What I'm talking about is advancements in battery chemistry, battery design, also charging systems," Koenig said. "Because having more electric vehicles is one thing, and that's how we grow the market." Koenig said battery technology advancements that allow consumers and businesses to drive farther on fast charges will be the centerpiece of the electrification ecosystem's development. Autonomous vehicle advancements are shifting from passenger cars to commercial vehicles. "We've been talking for years and years about self-driving vehicles happening, but now we're starting to see autonomy really earnestly move beyond passenger vehicles," Koenig said. Self-driving heavy trucks are leading autonomous technology development, he said. A global shortage of truck drivers and other logistics workers will force companies to turn to technology to address these issues, Koenig said. "How are we going to close that gap? Technology has to be the answer, so self-driving trucks will be very important. Humans are the nice-to-have, but technology has the answer," Koenig said. — Karn Dhingra | 
