Electronics brand Sharp wants to make EVs

LDK+ concept is Sharp’s idea of an EV minivan

Sony and Sharp are one of the few brands you’d think of when we’re talking about TVs. But now that Sony has partnered with Honda to create EVs, Sharp also wants to make its own.

That’s right. The brand known for making consumer electronics wants to join the EV party by revealing the Sharp LDK+ concept, which is basically Sharp’s idea of a mobile living room.

Sharp is working with Foxconn on this project. For the unfamiliar, Foxconn is one of the companies that produce the iPhone and is also one of the largest electronics contract manufacturers in the world. Sharp utilized an EV platform shared with Foxconn’s Model C crossover which takes the shape of a minivan.

The design of the LDK+ concept shows there’s a long way to go before it reaches the production phase, but the ideas for making the minivan a sustainable EV are already there. On the outside, Sharp wants to utilize the massive roof by fitting solar panels to recharge the minivan’s batteries, with a bidirectional charging option so the LDK+ could double up as a large power bank when power outages occur.

But inside, there’s a massive 65-inch screen that comes with swiveling rear seats for that whole mobile living room experience. Sharp says the cabin adopts technology from its home applicances for its adaptive climate control settings and screen brightness. Furthermore, Sharp’s AI technology will see extensive use in the EV minivan for further personalization.

For now, technical specifications are still unavailable. But over in Taiwan, the Model C where the LDK+ is based from puts out 234 PS and 340 Nm of torque from its single motor setup. With a 60 kWh battery capacity, the setup gives up to 505 km of range using the NEDC cycle. But with the Sharp electric minivan getting different proportions, the range could vary once it reaches production.

While the concept looks promising, there’s still plenty of development needed on both Sharp and Foxconn, and we may have to wait until 2030 to see Sharp’s first production EV.