Sony has reiterated its desire to be in the automobile sector by launching a second concept vehicle and a subsidiary that will explore electric cars.
A press conference was held ahead of Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The giant electronic company showed its Vision-S 02 SUV, which is a brand new prototype of its battery-powered car.
Japanese company, well-known for their televisions and video games consoles, has also announced that it will establish the Sony Mobility division in spring 2022. This will examine the possibility of the firm entering the automobile sector.
During the Sony press conferences ahead of the CES, Kenichiro Yoshida is the chief executive officer at Sony. He unveils the Sony Vision S 02 prototype electric vehicle.
According to a Tuesday statement, the mobility division of tech company Google ‘intends explore entry into EV markets’.
Kenichiro Yoshida is the chairman and president of Sony. He spoke ahead of an annual US gadgets conference.
The Vision-S 02 follows up on the initial concept that Sony unveiled at CES 2020.
Although the Vision-S was designed to be a saloon to compete with the Tesla Model S’s, the 02 is designed to take on the growing market for SUVs powered by batteries.
This seven-seat vehicle is approximately 4.85m long and has a higher ground clearance than the Tesla Model Y SUV.
Sony bosses stated that the “02” looks different but uses the same platform electric as the Vision S saloon, which has been on the roads since December 2020.
It stated that the tech firm’s mobility arm ‘intends’ to enter into the EV marketplace.
Sony bosses stated that, despite looking very different from the Vision S saloon (right), the ’02’ uses the same platform electric as the Vision S (left), which has been road tested since December 2020
It measures approximately 4.85m in length, and is only fractionally shorter than the Tesla Model Y SUV.
This means that power is likely to be generated by two 200kW motors, one at each axle. The combined output from the four-wheel drive system will produce 536bhp.
There is no further information available on the battery size and range.
Sony claimed that the Vision-S 02 SUV will be capable of reaching speeds of more than 112 mph.
Sony stated two years ago that although acceleration times were not shared with the Vision-S, it was still claimed that Vision-S could accelerate to 62 mph from a standstill in just five seconds.
As Sony continues to grow into new markets, its dedicated mobility division will be exploring how it can produce such vehicles.
Sony’s expertise and ability to develop imaging, sensing and cloud technologies, 5G and cloud will allow it to be a “well-positioned” company for the mobile sector.
Sony could be a prominent player in audio and film TVs, making it a good starting point to build advanced car systems. These are anticipated to make EVs a big selling point.
Sony claimed that the Vision-S 02 SUV will be capable of reaching speeds of more than 112mph.
While its position as a leader in consumer electronics has now been lost to Asian competitors like Samsung Electronics South Korea, the Japanese brand has a wealth of advanced technology.
These sensors could be used to give the company an advantage over its competitors when it comes time to develop autonomous driving technologies.
Sony could use its prominence in television, music, and film to help create in-car entertainment systems that will be an important selling point for future-generation vehicles with similar electric engines.
After the announcement of electric vehicles, shares in Sony rose by 4.2 percent in Tokyo. This is well above the flat Nikkei.
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