Sony will use to concept to test various driving technologies.
The car was unveiled at the 2020 CES.
The Vision-S Concept was fine-tuned by Magna Steyr.
It was a year ago that Sony surprised many at the 2020 CES with the reveal of their attractive and “normal” looking Vision-S Concept. Earlier this month, it seemed like a given that Sony was entering the EV-building-and-selling business as they driving shared footage of their concept. Apparently, this will not be the case.
At least, not yet. The words used by a Sony representative when speaking to Car and Driver seem to hint that it’s not completely game over: “At present, we have no plans to mass-produce or sell the vehicle. With mobility expected as a major megatrend into the future, we’re exploring how Sony can contribute in a meaningful way to the era of autonomous driving.”
It would seem that the Vision-S Concept was conceived, and fine-tuned by Magna Steyr, as a test-bed for driving technologies currently being developed by Sony. The car’s autonomous driving tech relies on 40 sensors including four lidars which enables Level 2 self-driving. Soon enough, Sony hopes to upgrade the system to a Level 4.
One has to wonder if Sony is preferring to prepare for the mass-adoption of autonomous cars. These cars may very well use their technology, as well as feature their world-famous PlayStation gaming console.