Sony Group, a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, is planning to launch an electric vehicle-focused subsidiary to explore the EV market, looking to experiment with its strengths in entertainment and sensors to play a bigger role in next-generation mobility.
The subsidiary, Sony Mobility, is expected to fulfill Sony’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint as well as enable it to assess the commercial launch of EVs, Sony chairman and president Mr. Kenichiro Yoshida said. According to reports, the launch of the EV arm will be held at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
In January 2020, Sony unveiled a driverless, electric concept sedan, named Vision-S sedan, at the CES 2020, which was designed to flaunt it’s expertise mainly in batteries, sensors and other mobility technologies. The Vision-S has been road tested in Europe since 2020.
At CES 2022, Sony announced and exhibited an SUV-type prototype vehicle (VISION-S 02) as a new form factor. This vehicle uses the same EV or cloud platform as the prototype (VISION-S 01), which is being tested on public roads.
This new prototype, together with VISION-S 01, will promote the adaptation of a broad range of lifestyles within a society where values are becoming increasingly diverse, by offering entertainment experiences using the large interior space and variations of the 7-seater.
Other features in the new prototype would include the ability for drivers to adjust the sounds the car makes as the otherwise silent battery motor changes speed. As well as the traditional engine roar, the vehicle could theoretically emit music samples, movie quotes, or whoops of joy as it accelerates and brakes.
The electric vehicle market, led by Tesla, is rapidly expanding and will play a key part in achieving the ambitious goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, which the industry is clearly preparing for. According to researches, the global EV market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24.3 percent from $287.36 billion in 2021 to $1,318.22 billion in 2028.
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