Sony made a major announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, revealing its Vision-S electric prototype car for the first time to the surprise of attendees.
Showcased today, the new electric concept sedan sheds light on a new beginning for Sony, which could end up becoming a rival to Tesla and its hugely popular Model S and X cars (if it ever goes into production). The Vision-S features its own on-board artificial intelligence system and is electrically powered with stunning interior and exterior design.
Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida in Vegas said that the “next mega-trend will be mobility,” and talked about Sony’s ambition in producing its first prototype electric car as part of its push towards developments in mobility.
The new Vision-S comes with a suite of hi-tech gadgets, integrated into the cloud with 33 sensors to help it navigate and uses LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology which gives the car the ability to make 3D digital representations of physical spaces as well as being able to recognize people and objects inside the car with its in-cabin sensors.
The car also comes with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, providing drivers with an un-matched audio experience with speakers physically built into the seats – an area where other car manufacturers have some catching up to do.
However, despite the exciting reveal at CES today, it is yet unknown whether Sony will commit to putting the car into production; but the car has wowed and given people something to think about – and where mobility will go in the future. Is Sony going to take on Tesla in 2020?
