Sony's electric car

Sony, Vision-S

Sony has revealed plans to start an electric car company, making it the latest electronics manufacturer to target the automotive sector.

The Japanese tech firm is “exploring a commercial launch” of electric vehicles, and will launch a new company, Sony Mobility Inc, in the spring, its chairman and president, Kenichiro Yoshida, told a news conference before the Consumer Electronics Show in the US.

Electric cars present fewer barriers to entry for potential new entrants because they have fewer moving parts, while autonomous cars (which are still in development) are expected to open a new opportunity to sell entertainment and services to passengers.

Sony was the first company to commercialise the use of the lithium ion battery, which was invented by academics at the University of Oxford, and are now used by electric cars. The technology allowed Sony to become a leader in portable consumer electronics, such as camcorders, CD players and laptops.