Sony’s (SONY) stock was up 3% in morning trading Wednesday after announcing that it intends “to explore entry into the EV market” through an operating company called Sony Mobility Inc., set to launch this spring.
Sony unveiled an electric SUV prototype, the VISION-S 02, ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show this week, noting that it will offer entertainment experiences to take advantage of the large interior of the seven-seat vehicle. The Japanese tech giant has been working with partners and test driving its EV/cloud platform over the last year and half with a prior version of the prototype on public roads.
The new announcement solidifies Sony’s ambitions to compete in the red-hot and competitive electric vehicle industry. The legacy electronics and entertainment giant has been working on an arsenal of high-end technologies that dovetail into EV and autonomous driving, such as sensors and camera monitoring.
The EV industry has seen an influx of companies entering the space, including electric SUV and pickup truck startup, Rivian (RIVN), which went public in November with a valuation north of $80 billion. Luxury electric car maker Lucid (LCID) made its public debut via a SPAC deal over the summer.
Tech giant Apple (AAPL) is also working on an entry into the electric vehicle and autonomous space.
Still, Tesla (TSLA) remains the leader and giant within the space, smashing analysts expectations for deliveries last year.
