EVs hit the headlines

Published: 27 January, 2020

Electric cars and new vehicle tech continued to capture the worldwide imagination as 2020 began. Both were the focus of attention at the CES electronics show, held in Las Vegas last month. While Sony surprise-launched its own prototype car at the show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the Vision AVTR (Advanced Vehicle Transformation), created in conjunction with the team behind the film AVATAR.

Sony’s car, the Vision S is a platform for demonstrating sensors and in-car entertainment from the tech giant. Speaking at the launch, Sony Chief Executive Kenichiro Yoshida said: "We will accelerate our efforts to contribute to the future of mobility.”

Yuhei Yabe, General Manager of the company’s AI and robotics business group added: “Through the process of building the prototype, we started to learn a lot about the architecture of the vehicle, we started to think about how our other technologies could be implemented in a vehicle.”

Meanwhile, Hollywood glamour sneaked its way in, as visionary film-maker James Cameron took to the stage with Mercedes-Benz Chairman Ola Kallenius to show off the Vision AVTR. The concept car has neither a steering wheel or an engine, but does boast moveable scales, see-through doors, a wooden floor, and a gesture-operated infotainment system.

Including Sony and the Vision S, there were range of car companies displaying vehicles at the annual electronics showcase. These included Audi with the AI:ME concept, as well as the Fisker Ocean, due to hit the market in 2021. China’s Byton M-Byte and the Lamborghini Huracan Evo were also presented