Sony to add tech partners for electric vehicle project

Sony is showing signs that it is serious when it comes to electric vehicles (EV). The Japanese tech company previously announced that it will set up a new company called Sony Mobility Inc. in order to accelerate its EV push.    

Sony is determined to enter the EV market

Now, Sony is reportedly looking for new technology partners to further help its EV project. A Sony executive told Reuters that the new tech partners will help the company to establish a mobility business that aims to “transform cars from transportation machines to entertainment spaces.”

Sony General Manager Izumi Kawanishi said that the EV shift in the automotive industry will result in the transformation of cars. Kawanishi, the one that will manage Sony Mobility, said that the transformation will be in some ways “similar to how information technology turned phones into smartphones.”     

Kawanishi added that Sony will pick new partners based on the technology they can contribute to the project. Sony is also reportedly open to partnering with Chinese companies.  

Vision-S 02 electric SUV

The company has shown its latest development when it comes to its EV project at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Sony used CES as a platform to reveal the Vision-S 02 electric SUV. It is powered by twin electric motors rated at 268 hp each, and it features a rather modern exterior styling. 

The Vision-S 02 is the second EV prototype under Sony’s arm. The first EV of the Japanese tech company is the Vision-S 01, a sedan that was unveiled in 2020. Sony initially said that the Vision-S 01 is meant to showcase the company’s future technologies, and shared that it will not be going to production. However, the EV sedan was spotted doing test runs in Europe, suggesting that Sony has other plans in its bag. 

Vision-S 01

Sony has also conducted 5G driving tests last April 2021. And recently, it tested its 5G Remote Driving technology integrated into the Vision-S 01 or the Vision-S Sedan. By utilizing a 5G connection, the Vision-S Sedan was controlled from Tokyo while the vehicle was driving along a test track in Aldenhoven, Germany. The video and control signals were transmitted to the remote location with low latency using the telematics system installed in the Vision-S. 

VISION-S | 5G Remote Driving Test Connecting Tokyo and Germany [Video: Sony]

Aside from Sony, other tech companies such as Apple, Xiaomi, LG, among others are also venturing into the EV market.

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