CES 2020: Sony builds a car

Sony sparked speculation that it was entering the car market by unveiling an impressively well-finished prototype electric car at the CES show in Las Vegas this week.

The Vision S is a sleek, accomplished four-seat sedan that primarily serves a showcase for Sony’s automotive technology but looked almost production ready.

“This prototype embodies our contribution to the future of mobility,” Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said at the unveil of the car. As the crowds pressed the company for more information, Sony damped down the speculation it would build the car, but didn’t extinguish it altogether.

“Stage one for the car is to be our pitch as an automotive supplier, sure, but production is not out of the question,” a spokesman told Car Design News. He said the car would be “begin testing” in 2020.

Sony’s current automotive supplier business is largely restricted to the sensors that interpret data from the increasing number of cameras on new cars, and their role in an autonomous future was played up in the publicity surrounding the car. Sony described the car, with its 33 cameras, radar units and other sensors, as a ‘safety cocoon’.

That idea also influenced the design of the car with its protective, ovoid look that eschewed sharp creases in favour of smooth curves.

Sony car exterior gallery

The design and production of the prototype were both carried out by Canadian supplier Magna, Sony confirmed. Magna’s turnkey prototyping operation is well equipped to build cars to the level of finish demanded by Sony and it has long worked in the background to bring cars to market from smaller companies, for example Chinese start-up Qoros and new Vietnamese firm VinFast.

Details supplied by Sony not only listed the safety and entertainment features offered by the car, but also touted the “newly designed EV platform” with the batteries contained in the sandwich floor between the axles.

According to the specifications, the car measures 4895mm long, weighs 2,350kg, is powered by two 200kW electric motors (one for each axle) that propel the car to 62mph from rest in 4.8 seconds. It rolls on 21in wheels and comes with double-wishbone air suspension.

Sony car interior gallery

The sheer quality of the concept from the plausible design to the near-production level of detailing was a strong indication that the Vision S will work hard for Sony as it endeavours to expand its automotive business. The company as yet doesn’t have an automotive division – instead the car was created by the company’s AI and robotics division. That could indicate that, as autonomous cars become more prevalent, Sony sees the world of automotive and robotics blurring. “I believe the next megatrend will be mobility, as cars become more connected, autonomous shared and electric in coming years,” Yoshida said at the car’s reveal.

The industry however was sceptical that Sony would follow other tech companies such as Dyson and Apple down the road of car production, especially knowing how programmes ended. “I can’t see them making it,” said one senior executive connected to the project. “Why would they need that headache?”