SHARP UNVEILS FIRST EV PROTOTYPE LIKE A LIVING ROOM ON WHEELS

TOKYO, Sept 18 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Japanese home appliances manufacturer Sharp Corp. on Tuesday unveiled a prototype of its first electric vehicle (EV), the 'LDK+,' a next-generation car equipped with a giant screen and rotatable seats to create a living room-like space, Kyodo News Agency reported.

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 theatre room, Sharp said, adding that it plans to begin selling the EV "within several years."

The display of the prototype at the company's tech fair in Tokyo came after the electronics company said earlier this month it would enter the EV business in partnership with Hon Hai, utilising the parent company's know-how in manufacturing all-electric vehicles.

The car also has liquid crystal shutters on side windows that can turn opaque to enhance passengers' privacy.

"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 car's development, 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 would turn part of its plant in Osaka Prefecture which had made large LCD panels into one of the largest artificial intelligence data centres in Asia as part of the reorganisation efforts.

--BERNAMA-KYODO