To Trinitron and Beyond

Man, oh, man. Can this really be happening? Over these many years, I have purchased all manner of excellent Sony products: radios, televisions, tape recorders, receivers, amplifiers, turntables, Betamax, CD, DVD, Blu-ray, Mini-disc, headphones, boomboxes, speakers, soundbars, videogame consoles, phones, camcorders, cameras—you name it. But will my next Sony purchase be...a car?

- By Ken C. Pohlmann

Yes, as you've probably heard, Sony has announced that it is exploring the idea of developing an electric vehicle. There is no shortage of companies, both legacy car makers and start-ups, scrambling to build EVs. Sony stands somewhere in the middle. While previously not a car maker, the company is certainly not a newcomer, having built quality products for almost 70 years.

As with other companies, Sony is probably looking at the global success, and valuation, of Tesla and is wondering if the rewards of developing an EV far outweigh the risk. Throw in the global push from governments to incentivize EV sales, and the market potential is clear to see.

So, at CES 2022, Sony's Chairman, President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida announced the formation of an electric car division, called Sony Mobility Inc. Of course, any EV announcement must be accompanied by some eye candy, so a Vision-S concept car was on display. A Vision-S sedan prototype was displayed previously, but this new prototype is an SUV. So, at least in theory, Sony Mobility already has a 2-car line-up.