Japanese electronics giant Sharp is preparing to enter the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market with the support of its Taiwanese parent company Hon Hai Precision Industry.

Hon Hai, aka Apple's main iPhone contract manufacturer Foxconn, completed the acquisition of loss making Sharp in 2016 for US$3.5bn.

Last week Sharp announced it would unveil its new LDK+ minibus concept at its Sharp Tech-Day'24 "Innovation Showcase" stand at the two day Tokyo International Forum from 17 September.

The company said the LDK+ concept model was planned and developed in collaboration with Foxconn and Japanese BEV aftermarket services company Foloflyand was based on Foxconn’s open BEV platform.

Sharp said the LDK+ was a BEV that “views the interior of the vehicle as an extended living room and focuses on the time the vehicle is stationary. Utilizing our proprietary AI technology Communication Edge-Large Language Model (CE-LLM), AIoT technology, sensing technology and other technology, we propose a comfortable and sustainable lifestyle that connects EVs with living spaces, people and energy".

The company said in a statement: “In this concept model the rear seats rotate backwards. When the (side) door closes, the liquid crystal shutters on both side windows close, creating a private space. Based on the information that AI learns from home appliances in daily life, it automatically adjusts the air conditioning and brightness according to your preferences creating a comfortable interior space. The rear of the car is equipped with a 65V display. It can be used as an immersive theatre room or a children's play area and also for remote work where you want to concentrate alone. The large screen allows seamless communication with family members at home, providing a safe and convenient space as if they were in the next room.”