“If you don’t know which digital product to choose, just choose Sony.” This “famous saying” in the digital industry may extend to the automotive industry.
At the recently opened 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), in addition to showcasing its electronic products, Sony also exhibited two cars: VISION S conceptual electric car and VISION-S 02 prototype car.
After announcing the two car models, Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida also announced the establishment of Sony Mobility Inc, which “focuses on mobile transportation and pure electric vehicles and will explore the commercialization of Sony’s electric vehicle business in the spring of 2022.”
According to official information from Sony, this new company aims to use AI and robotic technology in the best way possible to help achieve a world where everyone can harmoniously coexist with robots. In addition to travel-related businesses primarily focused on the VISION series, the company also encompasses specialized businesses such as autonomous entertainment robots aibo and unmanned drones such as Airpeak.
Sony’s move at CES 2022 indicates a change in its thinking. Last year, Sony said it “won’t become a car manufacturer, but will work toward being a driving force for change in the automotive industry.” However, Sony ultimately succumbed to the temptation of car manufacturing and officially entered the car-making arena.
Long-planned
In fact, Sony has been trying and laying the groundwork for car manufacturing for a long time.
As early as 2014, Sony announced that it would commercialize the car-mounted CMOS image sensor. In 2017, Sony released an electric concept car, the SC-1. According to Sony, the car was an experimental vehicle for exploring new vehicles different from traditional cars.
At that time, with the news of the SC-1 concept car, the industry also speculated that Sony was trying to enter the new energy vehicle field. However, with the silence of the SC-1 concept car, such speculation dissipated.
Until 2019, when Sony announced that it would officially mass-produce the SC-1 concept car for use in leisure industry cooperation or park vehicles. Because the car differs significantly from passenger cars, the industry did not consider Sony’s move as a genuine entry into car manufacturing.
It is worth mentioning that with the announcement of the mass production of the SC-1 concept car, Sony’s actions in car manufacturing have become even more frequent. For example, at the 2020 CES exhibition, Sony released the VISION-S concept and exhibited its prototype car. In December of the same year, Sony began public road testing in Europe to test the safety of installed image and sensing technology inside and outside the car and the user experience of human-machine interaction (HMI) systems.Sony began 5G environment driving tests in April 2021, and it will continue to provide a new experience to the mobile travel field which is transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) by combining its cutting-edge technology. The VISION-S is currently undergoing functional verification testing in Europe with the aim of releasing an L2+ level advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) for public roads.
From the official release video, it is clear that the test vehicle can identify vehicles, objects, and pedestrians on the road, and can judge and avoid them.
Combined with the VISION S, a pure electric concept vehicle, the VISION-S 02, a pure electric SUV prototype, and the soon-to-be-established Sony Mobility Inc, Sony’s preparation for car manufacturing can be said to be quite complete, as showcased at the 2022 CES.
This also became the confidence behind Kenichiro Yoshida’s high-profile statement at CES, “Sony will redefine the mobility of (vehicles).”
“Will the Sony formula continue to work?”
“What is the difference between Sony and Apple’s fan culture?”
The top-ranked answer on Zhihu is: Apple fans can strive and save up to buy all of Apple’s products, while Sony fans should not bother trying.
The reason is simple; in terms of television and imaging, such as the world’s first transistor television, color television, 4K screen, and 100-inch Z9D, and in terms of audio, Walkman, noise-canceling headphones, ability to record DSD format, and the PCM-D100 recording pen hailed as the “walking recording studio,” the popular PS series… These are all Sony’s products.
In other words, it is virtually impossible for an ordinary person to collect all of Sony’s products renowned as “black technology.” Therefore, for many consumers, the letters “SONY” represent “faith.”
So, will this faith continue on the new track?
In my opinion, unlike other digital products, the answer to this question still needs to be sought from the automobile products themselves.
Focusing on the VISION S and VISION-S 02 models showcased at Sony’s 2022 CES, while their appearance and design are quite in line with the mainstream design of pure electric vehicles, overall, they lack new features, especially compared with the models under the many new car-making forces in China.In terms of interior design and technology, VISION S and VISION-S 02 do not have advantages compared to domestic new car manufacturers. For example, the clean style interior and multi-screen interactive functions of the two Sony models have been applied to many new domestic car companies and traditional car companies. At the same time, the electronic exterior and rear-view mirror function of the two models is not unique. The “Magic Cube” model launched by BAIC New Energy at this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show has already adopted this design.
Of course, in Sony’s view, VISION S and VISION-S 02 are not without highlights. For example, in terms of autonomous driving, the two cars will be equipped with Sony’s communication technology and autonomous driving technology, which are well-known in the smartphone field. Taking VISION-S 02 as an example, the car is equipped with 40 autonomous driving sensors, including 4 lidars, 18 cameras, and 18 ultrasonic/mm-wave radars, which can ensure driving safety by real-time recognition and analysis of the surrounding environment.
“The development of this car is based on safety, adaptability, and entertainment, and the top priority is safety. A total of 40 detection sensors are installed inside and outside the vehicle to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers,” said Kenichiro Yoshida.
As for the in-car entertainment system, Sony stated that its electric cars will be equipped with streaming services and digital video services. In addition to streaming games, they will also be remotely connected to the PlayStation game consoles at the owner’s home.
Although Sony is confident, it is undeniable that these functions are not novel. At present, although Sony has officially entered the car-making industry, facing this huge, complex, and fiercely competitive and rapidly changing new arena, there are still many questions about whether the “Sony Style” can continue to be effective.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.