Sony tests Vision S in Graz

CES 2020: Sony presents – a car! This announcement was among the breaking news from Las Vegas last year. But Sony immediately backtracked and remained characteristically reserved: they officially stated that the car was meant to demonstrate the company's advanced technologies. However, it was done with a very well-made prototype that looked very close to a production model for a "demonstration study." Meanwhile, the first driveable prototype was approved in Graz at the supplier Magna Steyr and is undergoing initial test drives on Magna's premises and in the Austrian Alps. Officially, Sony continued to be very modest: they want to "contribute to the evolution of mobility," and yes, they have begun initial test drives in Austria and will continue working on the Vision-S and test it in other countries as well. The video shows the now advanced state of affairs.

The platform of the almost 4.9-meter-long Vision-S is designed for high safety, connectivity, and flexibility, according to Sony. And of course, the "skateboard" can also serve as a basis for various vehicle types: starting from coupes to sedans, SUVs, and minivans. Several companies with automotive expertise were involved in the development, including suppliers Benteler, Bosch, Magna, and ZF. This is becoming interesting now because both Magna and Bosch with Benteler have developed such a "skateboard" for third parties. However, the Japanese remain silent on this matter. On Electro-Auto-News, Marco Kollmeier, Vice President of the Business Unit Electro-Mobility at Benteler Automotive, is said to have explained that while they provided individual modules as one of eleven partners, they did not use their own Benteler-Bosch platform. 

At least it was revealed that the Vision-S, with its two electric motors, offers a total power of 400 kW (544 PS), allowing it to accelerate to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and reach up to 240 km/h. No information on the size of the batteries and the range was provided. 

Sony provides image and sensor technologies as well as software from the fields of artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and cloud services. According to Sony, the range of functions can be continuously updated and further developed. This applies particularly to technology for autonomous driving.

What does this mean?

Sony's Vision S remains mysterious: because for a "study to explore possibilities," the prototype at CES 2020 was already too advanced and the fact that the car has now matured into a drivable and roadworthy prototype with the help of Magna makes series production as a Japanese Tesla very likely. Especially since the Vision S would currently (still) practically have no competition at home — and would certainly find its fans worldwide.