At this year’s CES, Sony has unveiled a follow up to the electric car it revealed at the same event two years ago. The new prototype is an SUV that the company is calling Vision-S 02. Sony took the sedan’s EV and cloud platforms and put them in a new form factor to create the vehicle, which features a large interior that can seat seven.
The electric SUV has sensors all over its body, including CMOS image and LiDAR sensors for its driver assistance system. Sony says it’s conducting tests in Europe as part of its efforts to release a Level 2+ driver assistance technology on public roads. Inside, there are Time-of-Flight sensors for driver authentication, as well as support for intuitive gesture and voice commands. The vehicle will also have 5G connectivity to enable over-the-air updates and remote operation, which Sony is currently working on with its partners.
While the Vision-S 02 is just a prototype at the moment, Sony has ambitions to become a player in the electric vehicle industry and sell its cars to the public. It will establish an operating company named “Sony Mobility Inc.” this spring and will explore entry into the EV market. The company didn’t reveal what other steps it’s taking to achieve that goal, and it remains to be seen whether it’ll truly be able to release its Vision-S vehicles. It’s worth noting, however, that Sony has been testing its electric sedan on public roads in Europe since December 2020 and has also started verification tests of the safety and user experience of the vehicle’s imaging and sensing technology.
Innovation of mobility.
Sony’s Vision-S #CES2022pic.twitter.com/lLykDAUapB
— Sony (@Sony) January 5, 2022
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