The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), formerly the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), announced today that Dr. Herbert Diess, chairman, board of management, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, will deliver a keynote address at the upcoming CES 2016. Diess will use the CES stage to launch an all-electric concept car while focusing his remarks on electric mobility driving the automotive market. Owned and produced by the CTA, CES 2016 runs Jan. 6-9, 2016, in Las Vegas.
Diess’ keynote is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at the Cosmopolitan’s Chelsea Theater. He will debut a new era of electric mobility, including Volkswagen’s groundbreaking electric vehicle that will further illustrate the synergy between the Internet of Things and the automotive industry.
“We welcome Herbert Diess to CES to share Volkswagen’s vision for the future, including the company’s commitment to sustainability,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “We are pleased Volkswagen will use the CES stage to unveil a concept car displaying its latest developments in safe and energy-efficient electric vehicles consistent with VW’s long history of innovation in the driving experience.”
Diess was appointed member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG and chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars in 2015. Prior to joining Volkswagen, he was member of the board of management of BMW AG. Diess joined BMW in 1996 as director, long-term and structural planning. In 2007, he became member of the board of management, purchasing and supplier network and, in 2012, member of the board of management, development of BMW AG.
“CES is a celebration of diverse ideas. Our stage is open to those who bring innovation and can showcase how technology is changing the world, at times open even to those who bring controversy,” said Shapiro. “When we agreed to a Volkswagen keynote earlier this year we, along with the world, did not know much about emissions testing, but after talking with Dr. Diess I felt the CES audience would be interested in his vision and curious about his plans for a new type of sustainable car. Now, VW has an opportunity at CES to show the world its designs for the future and how the company views electric mobility and sustainability.”
The latest advancements in automotive technology will be a major theme at CES 2016, with more than 115 automotive tech companies and nine automakers debuting products. A show within a show, automotive exhibits will cover more than 200,000-square-feet of exhibit space, a 25 percent increase over the 2015 CES. The show will feature the hottest auto tech trends from parking assistance, collision avoidance and emergency braking to the latest in driverless, electric and energy-efficient vehicles.
Diess joins an impressive lineup of CES 2016 keynote speakers, including Intel’s Brian Krzanich, Netflix’s Reed Hastings, GM’s Mary Barra, Samsung’s Dr. WP Hong, YouTube’s Robert Kyncl, NBC Universal’s Steve Burke and Fitbit’s James Park.
CES 2016 will span 2.3 million-square-feet of exhibit space, featuring more than 3,600 exhibiting companies debuting the latest products and services across the entire consumer tech ecosystem. For the latest CES news and announcements, visit CESweb.org.
