Japanese home appliances manufacturer Sharp Corp. on Tuesday unveiled a prototype of its first electric vehicle “LDK+,” a next-generation car equipped with a giant screen and rotatable seats to create a space like a living room.
The model, developed in collaboration with its parent Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and Kyoto-based EV start-up Folofly, boasts a 65-inch display in the back that can transform the vehicle into a private theater room, Sharp said, adding that it plans to begin selling the EV “within several years.”
Sharp Corp. unveils its electric vehicle concept model, LDK+, to the media at the company’s technology exhibition event in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2024, marking the electronics firm’s entry in the EV market. LDK+ views the vehicle’s interior as an extended living room, Sharp said of the concept model, developed jointly with Taiwan’s Hon Hai Technology Group and Kyoto-based Folofly Corp. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Sharp Corp. unveils its electric vehicle concept model, LDK+, to the media at the company’s technology exhibition event in Tokyo on Sept. 17, 2024, marking the electronics firm’s entry in the EV market. LDK+ views the vehicle’s interior as an extended living room, Sharp said of the concept model, developed jointly with Taiwan’s Hon Hai Technology Group and Kyoto-based Folofly Corp. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The display of the prototype at the company’s tech fair in Tokyo came after the electronics company said earlier this month it will enter the EV business in partnership with Hon Hai, utilizing the parent company’s know-how in manufacturing all-electric vehicles.
The car is also equipped with liquid crystal shutters on side windows that can turn opaque to enhance the privacy of passengers.
“We want our customers to use it like it is their living room or personal office,” Toshihiko Osada, a Sharp official in charge of the development of the car, said.
Sharp has been trying to rebuild its business in recent years as it struggles with its loss-making liquid crystal display operations amid increased competition with manufacturers in China and South Korea.
The tech company said in June that it will turn part of its plant in Osaka Prefecture that had made large LCD panels into one of the largest artificial intelligence data centers in Asia as part of the reorganization efforts.
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