Sony Group Corp. announced a new electric-vehicle unit, Sony Mobility Inc., and unveiled a prototype of its latest concept car Tuesday night at CES 2022.
Sony SONY, +1.81% said it is entering a new phase — after first announcing its plans for an electric vehicle in 2020 — with the seven-seat, SUV-like VISION-S 02. It joins the VISION-S 01, an electric concept car that was unveiled last year.
Sony’s Japanese stock 6758, +3.67% jumped about 5% in Tokyo trading after the announcement was made.
Read: CES 2022 is about to officially start — without tech’s biggest names
In a statement, the Japanese conglomerate said Sony Mobility will “aim to make the best use of AI and robotics technologies, help realize a world where everyone can live in harmony with robots on a daily basis, fill people with emotion, and contribute to society.” The unit is expected to launch this spring.
It’s unclear if the vehicles will be mass produced, but “We are exploring a commercial launch of Sony’s EV,” Sony Chairman and Chief Executive CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said at a CES news conference Tuesday night. Sony also released a video demonstrating the vehicle:
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The VISION-S 02 will use a wide range of safety features featuring Sony’s in-house technologies, including “high-sensitivity, high-resolution, wide dynamic range CMOS image sensors and LiDAR sensors that accurately sense three-dimensional space.”
“Safety has been our No. 1 priority in creating a comfortable mobility experience,” Yoshida said. “That has not changed when building this SUV. A total of 40 sensors are installed inside and outside of the vehicle to monitor safety.”
The vehicle will also be 5G enabled, have a 3-D sound system and will let passengers play PlayStation videogames through a digital video service.
Sony said it is currently conducting road tests in Europe toward the release of Level 2 advanced driver-assistance systems.
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