Sony could bring its Play Station cars to life and become the next big EV maker
The Vision-S is one of the most tech-savvy and interesting concept cars to date, and while it likely won't go into production, Sony could use some of that technology in other vehicles.
During the pandemic, Sony has been making a fortune from PlayStation 5 sales and streaming content through PlayStation Network. But in a surprise move, it jumped into the electric vehicle market with the launch of its Vision-S sedan.
But Sony is not only the manufacturer of the PlayStation. The company has long been engaged not only in games. Sony originated in the post-war period, starting with a small electronics store in Tokyo. When it started developing branded consumer electronics, it grew into a highly profitable multinational corporation in the 60s and 70s.
Despite declining sales of consumer electronics in the 80s, popular products like the Walkman, Discman and floppy disks, and the first generations of PlayStation consoles helped Sony regain its footing and more in the 90s.
As the Internet grew, Sony aggressively pursued new businesses that tied consumer electronics, such as movies and music, to the Internet. After purchasing Columbia Pictures in 1989, Sony went on to develop multiple blockbusters, including the early 200s Spider-Man trilogy, the XXX franchise, and the current James Bond film series. Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony's film and television production unit that houses Columbia Pictures, also produces television staples such as Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. Sony Music Entertainment is the second largest music company and owns the publishing rights to the music of superstars like Taylor Swift, Bob Dylan and Eminem.
Sony has also had a significant share of the television and digital camera market for decades. It is a leading manufacturer of CMOS sensors widely used in smartphones and digital cameras. Sony Financial Holdings offers financial products primarily to Japanese consumers. Sony has even made acquisitions in healthcare and biotech.
But electric cars? It's not all that far-fetched given Sony's forays into automotive technology to date.
Sony forays into the automotive world
As its history shows, Sony has never been afraid to take on emerging technologies that it believes will have a significant impact, and with its consumer electronics development talent pool and global reach, Sony is poised to capitalize on a growing market for .
The company helped popularize the lithium-ion battery in the 2000s by selling off the business, but Sony has continued the work it started in 2015 with ZMP Inc. over commercial drones and unmanned vehicles.
In a recent interview, Izumi Kawanishi, senior vice president of Sony's AI robotics business, announced that the company saw mobility as the next frontier. He discussed Sony's Vision-S EV sedan, which debuted in January 2020 at the Consumer Electronics Show, and while it may have flown under the radar, this new electric vehicle stands out as more than just Sony's first foray into automotive production.
Overview of Vision-S
The best way to discuss the Vision-S is not in terms of typical automotive performance standards like horsepower and handling. For those interested, it has 536 hp and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
The Vision-S is an electric vehicle concept capable of limited autonomous driving and equipped with Sony technology features. Because it's built for autonomy, it's best judged by two things. One is its performance as a self-driving car, an emerging category that has had mixed success so far. And, secondly, a large number of entertainment options that also need to be evaluated.
Sony's EV comes equipped with more than three dozen sensors. They detect people and objects in and around the car and measure distances in real time for better and safer autonomous driving. The current model is capable of autonomous parking, has advanced driver assistance, but is not yet fully autonomous. However, the goal is fully autonomous driving. The Vision-S also comes with a surround sound system and a panoramic dash display for watching video instead of the road.
In fact, Sony has packed this electric car with so many entertainment options that it's hard not to think of it as a PlayStation vehicle. You can even play PS games on the 10-inch Vision-S infotainment screens. But before you rush to buy the Vision-S, understand that there are no production plans for it yet. Right now, Sony is improving its entertainment capabilities and autonomous driving technology.
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