Sony may enter car manufacturing

Sony is open to entering the car manufacturing industry, as tech peers like Apple and Google have already entered the fray. If it is serious, it may choose to partner with an automaker.

Sony has plans to expand its camera sensor applications, currently used in smartphones, to automobiles. The company has already expanded its operations into many different fields, such as real estate and education, so it would not be surprising if it expanded into automobile manufacturing.

"We have no plans at the moment, but never say never," CEO Kazuo Hirai said in an interview with the Financial Times.

“If there comes a time when we believe we can make a difference in the automotive industry, we will consider it,” he said, acknowledging that the emergence of electric cars like Tesla has opened up opportunities for some companies to enter the auto industry. In addition to sensors, Sony is now involved in producing rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and artificial intelligence for robots similar to Honda’s ASIMO.

Hirai also said that new entrants to the auto industry have not paid enough attention to the “emotional value” that buyers want from a car. Sony believes that its consumer electronics resonate with customers emotionally, and reiterated that it would “never say never” when it comes to a possible partnership with an automaker.

According to Dan Tri