Sony's car-making prospects are beginning to become clearer.
On January 5, local time, at the 2022 CES exhibition held in Las Vegas, Sony showed off the company's latest Vision-SUV prototype, which is the second electric vehicle released by Sony since the release of the Vision-S electric sports car in 2020.
As a seven-seat complement to the original Vision-S, the Vision-SUV prototype relies on the same EV/cloud platform and entertainment hardware as the original, integrating a full suite of 360-degree sensors, including LiDAR and a high-sensitivity, high-resolution CMOS image sensor. A total of 40 sensors are installed inside and outside the vehicle to monitor the safety of the vehicle.
Sony also announced that it will launch a new division, Sony Mobility Inc. Which will begin commercializing its electric vehicles.
Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said the company is exploring the business process of electric vehicles. An exploration of the electric vehicle industry will show how Creative Entertainment companies can "redefine (vehicle) mobility."
Sony shares rose nearly 4 percent in Tokyo after the electric car plan was announced.
In addition to the commercialization process, Sony has begun to explore the possibility of driverless electric vehicles for the company.
Public information shows that Sony and Vodafone of Germany have started the 5G driving test of the VISION-S Prototype in Oldenhofen, Germany, last April. Verify the low-latency transmission of various sensor data acquired by the vehicle to the cloud, as well as the possibility of real-time control. Outside analysts believe that this move is aimed at preparing for the realization of highly automated driving.
At present, the market is highly concerned about Apple's car manufacturing progress. Sony, as an established consumer electronics giant, is clearly ahead of the curve. After the prototype is demonstrated in 2020, the company's electric vehicle program is making progress.