Is this what the future looks like?

According to Audi's display at the CES, the roads of tomorrow will contain electric cars with some degree of autonomy and packed full of display screens. The big news was an interior concept built around AMOLED (active-matrix, organic light emitting diode) displays.

There was also another chance to see the Audi e-tron quattro concept that made its debut in Frankfurt last year. As well as an electric all-wheel drive system the e-tron quattro offers 'piloted driving functions' designed to help in traffic jams and parking; it isn't billed as fully autonomous driving, but it is certainly a stepping stone to self-driving cars.

We've seen display screens in cars before, haven't we?

It's true that Audi already offers a display screen instead of conventional instruments in the TT, Q7 and A4 and plenty of cars have touch screens for navigation and entertainment. According to the company's Executive Vice President of Electronic Development the next step is to take the virtual cockpit and evolve it into the virtual dashboard to create, "an entirely new world of experience for our customers". The idea is that the car will get to know the driver's habits and preferences. Driving the display screens is Audi's next generation Modular Infotainment Platform, MIB2+. This uses wireless communication to connect with smartphones and other technology.

What else can we expect?

A growing range of online services are available under the Audi connect banner. Something called 'Car-to-X' services will become available this year. For Europe that includes traffic sign information and hazard information as part of a swarm, which presumably means vehicles communicating with each other.

Longer-term visions include something called 'Audi Fit Driver' designed to look after the health of drivers. Under the motto, 'My Audi cares for me,' the idea is that drivers will arrive at their destination more relaxed than when they got in the car. We don't know if the technology will also suggest a trip to the gym instead of your favourite take-away...