Hyundai will introduce Pleos Connect in the U.S. with the 2027 Tucson, bringing Android Automotive, built-in AI and native apps.

Hyundai is preparing a major technology upgrade for the U.S. market with the arrival of Pleos Connect in the 2027 Tucson. The new infotainment platform combines Android Automotive OS, over-the-air updates, connected services and an artificial-intelligence assistant designed to understand natural language.

The system will be available on U.S.-specification Hyundai vehicles equipped with 17-inch or 12.9-inch centre displays. Rather than treating infotainment as a fixed system installed when a vehicle leaves the factory, Hyundai is positioning Pleos Connect as part of its broader move towards software-defined vehicles.

That change could make future Hyundai models more adaptable throughout their lifecycles. The company plans to collect and analyse data from vehicles equipped with Pleos Connect and its Gleo AI assistant, using that information to develop new software experiences and deliver updates remotely.

Hyundai expects Pleos Connect to reach around 20 million vehicles by 2030, making the platform an important part of its long-term software strategy. The Tucson will be the first U.S. model to introduce the technology.

The 2027 Hyundai Tucson will introduce Pleos Connect to U.S. customers with large 17-inch or 12.9-inch displays.

Gleo AI Turns The Infotainment System Into A Digital Assistant

One of Pleos Connect’s biggest features is Gleo AI, an in-vehicle assistant powered by a large language model. Unlike traditional voice systems that rely heavily on predefined commands, Gleo AI is designed to understand conversational requests and interpret what the driver is trying to accomplish.

Drivers can use natural language to search for destinations, request navigation and refine their route. The system can understand context and handle multiple commands, making interactions more similar to a conversation than a sequence of rigid voice instructions.

Gleo AI can also access vehicle-specific information. Drivers can ask questions about their Hyundai and use voice commands to control supported functions, including climate settings.

The assistant can also provide information from the vehicle’s owner’s manual. That could make unfamiliar functions easier to understand without requiring the driver to search through menus or physical documentation.

The technology is particularly relevant as Hyundai moves towards software-defined vehicles. The vehicle becomes a platform that can evolve after purchase rather than remaining fixed at the moment of delivery.

Gleo AI is designed to understand natural-language requests and help drivers with navigation, vehicle functions and information.

Google And HERE Bring Connected Navigation To Tucson

Pleos Connect also introduces a redesigned navigation experience. The system combines HERE Maps and Google Places with real-time mapping and routing information.

Hyundai has designed the interface around a large, customisable display. Navigation can be shown in either portrait or landscape orientation, while compatible applications can operate alongside the map.

Floating information cards provide route information without completely covering the navigation screen. This approach is designed to keep important details visible while preserving a clear view of the route.

The system also includes pre-installed map data for the U.S. That means navigation can continue to provide useful information in areas where mobile connectivity is limited.

Connectivity is another important part of the platform. Pleos Connect supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alongside Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 6.

This combination allows Hyundai to provide its own connected ecosystem while still giving drivers access to familiar smartphone-based services.

Pleos Connect combines HERE Maps and Google Places with a large-screen interface designed for flexible navigation and multitasking.

A New App Store Could Keep The Tucson Updated

Pleos Connect also introduces the Pleos App Market, allowing native applications to run directly on the vehicle’s Android Automotive-based platform.

The marketplace will support entertainment, lifestyle, productivity, mobility and vehicle-related services. Streaming music and video applications are among the types of services Hyundai plans to offer.

One important advantage is that applications can receive updates independently of Hyundai’s broader infotainment software updates. That creates a more flexible ecosystem in which individual services can evolve without requiring a complete system update.

Hyundai is also developing an API for third-party developers. Applications created for Pleos Connect will go through cybersecurity and verification procedures before becoming available to customers.

The strategy could significantly change how drivers interact with their cars over time. Instead of relying on an infotainment system that remains largely unchanged for years, Hyundai is building a platform that can add new functions and services after the vehicle has been purchased.

The 2027 Tucson therefore represents more than a new infotainment upgrade. It marks an important step in Hyundai’s transition towards software-defined vehicles, where artificial intelligence, connected services and over-the-air updates become increasingly central to the ownership experience.

Honda is developing a wireless charging road that could deliver up to 150 kW to EVs while they are moving, including heavy commercial vehicles.

Honda is moving closer to a future in which electric vehicles could recharge their batteries without stopping. The company has developed the underlying technology for a dynamic wireless power transfer system that can send electricity from equipment embedded in the road to an EV while it is driving.

The project is being developed with Taisei Corporation and Taisei Rotec Corporation. Together, the three companies are working on a road system designed to combine high-power wireless charging, durable pavement structures and practical installation methods.

The technology is particularly important for electric trucks and other commercial vehicles. These vehicles need to travel long distances while maintaining high utilisation, making conventional charging stops a major challenge. Honda therefore sees dynamic wireless charging as a potential way to reduce charging downtime while keeping vehicles moving.

Honda’s dynamic wireless power transfer system is designed to supply electricity to an EV through equipment embedded beneath the road surface.

The Road Becomes Part of the Charging System

Honda’s system uses magnetic coupling to transfer electricity between the road and the vehicle. Power is delivered from Ground Assembly units embedded in the pavement to a Vehicle Assembly unit installed on the EV.

The approach is similar in principle to wireless charging for smaller devices, but it has been adapted for much higher power levels and continuous operation while a vehicle is moving.

One of the most important innovations is the way Honda has designed its ground units. The inverter and charging coil are integrated into a single unit, while multiple units can be connected through a DC distribution system.

This architecture can reduce the amount of wiring required beneath the road. It also makes the system easier to install and potentially easier to upgrade when existing pavement is resurfaced.

The companies have designed the pavement and embedded components to withstand heavy traffic. Their target includes vehicles with a gross weight of approximately 20 tons, a crucial requirement if the technology is eventually deployed on roads used by trucks.

The charging units are embedded into the pavement and transfer electricity wirelessly to a receiver installed on the vehicle.

Honda Is Targeting Up To 150 kW

The system is being developed with high-power applications in mind. Honda is working toward up to 150 kW of power transfer per ground assembly unit, which could make the technology particularly relevant to large electric commercial vehicles.

The first stage of testing will take place on a dedicated roadway at the Taisei Group facility in Japan. Beginning in late 2026, the companies plan to evaluate long-term durability, wireless power-transfer performance and electromagnetic-field leakage.

The durability programme is particularly demanding. Testing will simulate the equivalent of one million wheel loads, using a 49-kilonewton load per wheel, to assess how the embedded system performs under repeated heavy-vehicle traffic.

After this stage, development will move toward higher-power operation and high-speed driving. The objective is not simply to demonstrate that electricity can be transferred wirelessly, but to establish a system that can operate reliably as part of real road infrastructure.

Honda’s technology could allow electric cars and commercial vehicles to receive power continuously while travelling over equipped sections of road.

Electric Trucks Could Be The Biggest Beneficiaries

The technology could have its greatest impact on logistics. Electric trucks require large batteries to achieve long ranges, but larger battery packs add weight, cost and charging requirements.

Dynamic wireless power transfer offers a different approach. Instead of relying entirely on stored energy, an electric truck could receive additional electricity while travelling, potentially allowing manufacturers to reduce the size of the battery needed for certain routes.

Honda is initially focusing on logistics and transportation because these sectors combine high mileage with strict uptime requirements. A truck that can recharge while moving could spend less time parked at charging stations and more time carrying freight.

The technology could also eventually support passenger EVs. Honda says the road infrastructure is being developed with broader compatibility in mind, rather than as a system limited exclusively to one vehicle manufacturer.

Public-Road Testing Is Planned For 2027

Honda and its partners plan to continue developing the system before moving to public-road demonstrations. The companies are expected to participate in the Tateyama Project on the Tateyama Expressway in Chiba, Japan, from fiscal 2027 onward.

That phase will be important because laboratory and private-road testing cannot fully reproduce the demands of public infrastructure. Real-world deployment will require reliable power transfer, durable pavement, manageable installation costs and effective safety measures.

Honda’s dynamic wireless charging technology could eventually change the way EV infrastructure is designed, turning sections of roads into active energy-supply systems rather than simply surfaces on which vehicles travel.

For electric commercial vehicles in particular, that could be one of the most important developments yet in the effort to combine long-distance driving with zero-emission transportation.

NACS charging arrives with a bigger home-charging upgrade

The 2027 Cadillac Escalade IQ is getting two important charging improvements for the U.S. market.

First, Cadillac will replace the CCS1 connector with a native North American Charging Standard (NACS) port. Second, the 19.2-kW onboard AC charger becomes standard across the entire Escalade IQ and Escalade IQL lineup.

That means lower-trim buyers get hardware that was previously reserved for more expensive versions.

The Escalade IQ is Cadillac’s full-size electric SUV and will receive native NACS charging for 2027.

The change is especially useful on road trips.

A native NACS connection lets owners plug directly into compatible NACS fast chargers, including Tesla Superchargers where GM vehicles have access. A CCS-to-NACS adapter will no longer be necessary for those stations.

The opposite situation still applies.

Owners who want to use a CCS charger will need a NACS-to-CCS adapter. GM says it is moving its entire EV lineup toward native NACS ports for the 2027 model year.

The 19.2-kW charger becomes standard

The bigger hardware change happens at home.

For 2027, every Escalade IQ and IQL receives a 19.2-kW onboard AC charging module. The system can accept up to 240 volts at 80 amps when paired with compatible charging equipment.

That is a significant upgrade for the base versions.

In 2026, the Luxury and Sport trims used an 11.5-kW charger, while the Premium Luxury and Premium Sport trims already had the 19.2-kW unit as standard.

Cadillac says the 19.2-kW system can add about 36 miles of range per hour with the right Level 2 equipment. The exact charging rate depends on the charger, electrical installation and other conditions.

Cadillac demonstrates home charging on the Escalade IQ, whose 2027 model gains native NACS hardware.

The upgrade does not increase the SUV’s maximum DC fast-charging speed.

The Escalade IQ can still accept up to 350 kW at compatible DC fast-charging stations. Cadillac estimates up to 117 miles of range in around 10 minutes under suitable conditions.

So the real benefit of the new onboard charger is at home.

A 205-kWh battery makes home charging important

The Escalade IQ has one of the largest battery packs in the passenger-vehicle market.

Its battery capacity is 205 kWh. That size supports the SUV’s long-distance capability, but it also makes choosing the right home charging equipment particularly important.

Cadillac continues to include a dual-level charging cord.

It can be connected to a 240-volt outlet or a conventional 120-volt household outlet. However, Level 1 charging is extremely slow for a battery this large. Cadillac’s current figures show about 2.7 miles of range per hour from a standard 120-volt outlet.

A full charge from empty would therefore take several days under ideal conditions, with real-world charging losses potentially making it longer.

For most owners, a properly installed Level 2 charger will be the practical solution.

The Escalade IQ combines a 205-kWh battery with a full-size luxury SUV body and an estimated range of up to 465 miles.

NACS also changes the home-charging setup

The native NACS port is not limited to public charging.

It can also accept an NACS home charger. Owners with an existing J1772 charger will need an adapter to continue using that equipment.

That gives new buyers more flexibility.

GM is also expanding its Energy Pass system through the MyCadillac, MyChevrolet and MyGMC apps. The platform supports several major charging networks and is intended to simplify access and payment.

The 2027 Escalade IQ and IQL will therefore arrive with a more unified charging strategy.

What changes for Escalade IQ buyers?

The mechanical vehicle remains largely familiar, but charging becomes easier.

The native NACS port removes one adapter from many road trips. The standard 19.2-kW onboard charger also gives every trim access to faster AC charging when the home electrical system can support it.

The upgrade is especially meaningful for Luxury and Sport buyers.

Those trims previously received the smaller 11.5-kW system. For 2027, they get the same 19.2-kW capability already offered on the higher trims.

The 2027 Cadillac Escalade IQ and Escalade IQL are scheduled to enter production at GM’s Factory ZERO in Detroit, with production currently expected to begin in December 2026.

For U.S. buyers, the result is straightforward: more convenient public charging and faster home AC charging without moving to a higher trim.

The Escalade IQ’s 2027 updates do not change its huge 205-kWh battery or 350-kW DC peak, but they make living with Cadillac’s flagship electric SUV easier from day one.