It may not be long before updating most cars looks more like a smartphone update than a trip to the auto shop.

Automaker executives are betting on software as an opportunity to grow revenue and expand margins through subscription models.

• More than 60% of US drivers were in connected vehicles in 2021, according to estimates from Insider Intelligence.
• That number could rise to more than 70% by 2025.

Zoom in: At GM, capturing this new business is the goal of the company’s Ultifi platform, which will enable cloud-based, over-the-air vehicle updates. GM plans to roll out Ultifi for some vehicles in its portfolio in 2023.

Padma Sundaram has been working on various GM projects for the last 24 years, including the company’s first long-range EV more than a decade ago and autonomous-driving tech at Cruise.

“Software is not new in automotive. There’s a lot of software. Today, if you take an advanced vehicle, there is already about 150 million lines of code,” she told Emerging Tech Brew, adding later that the figure could double to 300 million as features and capabilities become more complex.

Go deeper: Now the director of software defined vehicle operations and product assurance, she leads a team that brings the lessons of AV to software for other cars. We spoke with Sundaram about the future of connected vehicles and the challenges ahead as the auto industry enters the cloud. Keep reading this story.—GD

Increasingly, major road builders are laying the…groundwork…for a technologically advanced, autonomous road system.

Take Cintra, for example. The company, a subsidiary of Spanish infrastructure company Ferrovial, rolled out a project in November featuring the first deployment of the company’s vehicle-to-infrastructure system on a roadway.

• The 22.5-mile stretch, located on I-66 in Northern Virginia, features a network of sensors and vehicle-to-infrastructure technology across three regular lanes and two managed lanes in each direction.
• Ferrovial worked with Microsoft, Intel, Capgemini, 3M, and Telefónica on the tech.

Big picture: Amid growing interest in more tech-focused roadways, Cintra and Ferrovial are looking to pursue projects like this one, seeing them as “a competitive advantage in terms of future bidding” and a way to demonstrate experience with building connected roadways, Adrian Talbot, head of the center of excellence for mobility at Ferrovial, told Emerging Tech Brew. Read the full story here.—JM

If there’s one thing CES is good for, it’s introducing the world to a whole bunch of new consumer tech concepts and products.

Today, we’re highlighting a few of the most eye-catching technologies unveiled at CES so far, with help from our senior reporter Hayden Field, who is on the ground in Las Vegas now.

A reusable, portable, electronic Covid-19 testing device. A less expensive way to conduct at-home Covid testing may be on the market soon. Opteev’s ViraWarn, which the company says can also scan for RSV and the flu, was submitted for FDA review in the summer. ViraWarn works like a breathalyzer, with users blowing into the device before receiving a result 60 seconds later. The device’s cartridge needs to be replaced after a positive result or after two to three weeks of daily usage, per the company. It’ll cost $99 once—and if—it hits the market.

Amazon Ring’s dashcam. First announced in 2020, at CES this year Amazon unveiled a Ring dashcam. The device functions as an all-in-one security system for vehicles, featuring sensors that the company claims can detect things like break-ins and enabling users to access a live video feed through the Ring app (as with Ring’s doorbell). The device, which represents an expansion of Amazon’s controversial security hardware arm, will be ready to ship in the US in February and will cost $250.

Sony and Honda made their EV joint venture (more) official. While Tesla users can play video games in their vehicles, Honda has been working with a gaming giant to produce EVs. At CES this year, the companies announced Afeela, the official name (and a prototype) for their EV joint venture, which is looking to ship its first vehicle in North America in 2026. The technologically tricked-out cars are expected to be available at a premium price point.—DM

Stat: Amazon said it is now planning to lay off more than 18,000 employees, up from the originally reported 10,000.

Quote: “Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward.”—Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, declared the infamous PS5 shortage over in a CES presentation

Read: E-bikes get the New Yorker treatment.

Three of the following news stories are true, and one...we made up. Can you spot the odd one out?

• A startup claims it is releasing particles into the atmosphere in an attempt to alter the climate.
• The New York City school system blocked access to ChatGPT due to concerns over its potential impact on students’ learning.
• A smartwatch startup announced a new “urinalysis” device that users attach to their toilet seats.
• Thursday’s CES keynote was momentarily disrupted when a group calling itself the “New Luddites” began protesting.

Catch up on the top Emerging Tech Brew stories from the past few editions:

• Top CTOs predict the key tech trends for 2023
• Trends to watch at CES 2023
• Emerging Tech Brew’s 2022 in review