Wanna watch a movie? Ok, let me park the lounge room

Japanese electronics giant Sharp and its majority stakeholder, Foxconn, have unveiled an electric vehicle that features, among other mod cons, an “extended living room.”

The Sharp LDK+ concept vehicle, which will debut at an exhibition in Tokyo next week, features rear seats that rotate backwards to form a private movie theater complete with a 65-inch screen. Side windows come with liquid crystal virtual shutters to improve privacy and darken the interior.

According to Sharp, the transmutable interior focuses on “time when the vehicle is stopped” and can “fulfill the dream of having one more room” .

“It can be used not only as an immersive theater room or a children’s play area, but also for remote work where you want to concentrate alone,” suggested the consumer electronics conglomerate.

The vehicle includes solar panels and employs AI to optimize energy management, automatically adjust air conditioning, as well as remembering owners’ preferences for screen brightness when they pull up at home.

Foxconn and Sharp’s LDK+

While the LDK+ might be nice for people who just really love hanging out in their cars or need extra space at home, it will not please automotive aesthetes. The colorless, boxy silhouette has made The Register wonder if Foxconn scavenged the sketches deemed too practical for the Tesla Cybertruck for inspiration.

Foxconn began exploring EVs years ago, via a partnership with Taiwanese car maker Yulan that resulted in a model called the “Luxgen n7” in September 2022. A month later, it had five EV models on the books.

The move was part of the contract manufacturer’s strategy to diversify its business portfolio and capitalize on the rapid growth of the global electric vehicle market. Foxconn even applies a similar approach to making EVs as it does to handheld consumer electronics: it manufactures products designed and sold by other brands using an open platform.

Many other non-vehicle companies have also taken the leap into transport – like Chinese consumer electronics brand Xiaomi, which released its first EV last March.

EVs in Asia – particularly China where the industry has boomed – have become more and more outlandish to Western sensibilities. Vehicle enthusiasts can easily find features like lounges, drawing apps, sleeping kits, built-in fridges, heartbeat monitors and in-car gaming. ®